Doubts and Insecurities
by spiffykay
Summary: Takes place 2 years after Season 3 ended. Seth and Summer story. Follows their lives and summer spent working in LA. Rated for minor language.
1. The Summers in LA

**A/N: I don't own the OC. Never have, never will. Let that disclaimer ring true for the rest of the story.**

**This is my first story here so please be sure to give me feedback - good, bad, or ugly - so I can get a feel for how well this is going. Reviews are awesome. Everyone loves them. Don't deny it.**

**Also, this is most def. a Seth and Summer story (I really don't think I could write any other type of story) so although the following chapters will be dramaesque - I'm a rather huge drama queen -, I still lovemy childishfairytale happy endings.**

**Enjoy. And review. Thanks. And have fun.**

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It was weird to suddenly realize your childhood and teenage growing years ended and you didn't get a chance to step back and say goodbye to them.

This is what Seth Cohen thought as he finally reached his apartment complex in downtown LA.

He didn't have a fancy Newport Beach life anymore – but that was to be expected seeing as he was only 20 years of age and refused to take his parents money, instead opting to take out loans and get himself a real job.

Or a real, lousy, not-very-good-pay internship with the law firm of Tankley & Sons.

It was summer – hot and humid in the 92-degree heat – and Seth was decked out in a well-to-do suit glancing in his briefcase for the keys. While he didn't exactly _need_ a briefcase, he had insisted on getting one because he believed "people would take him seriously." His job included organizing files and getting coffee for balding men.

No one was taking him seriously at all.

"Where the fuck are my keys?" Seth muttered to himself as he put his briefcase on the ground and searched through it.

A young woman just about his age wandered up to the door, shaking her own keys in her hands, "Are you looking for your keys again, Seth?"

Seth looked up to see his neighbor, Bethany, smiling down at him with her dazzling white teeth and her beyond perfect blue eyes, "Yeah, can't find them in here."

Seth stood up smiling awkwardly at Bethany as she opened the door and let them in. He had been living in this apartment building for nearly two months now and knew he was not at all interested in Bethany in a romantic way. Yet she still continued to show signs of wanting more than a casual next-door neighbor friendship. While Bethany could not be constituted as a ditzy blonde (with straight blonde hair reaching nearly halfway down her back) seeing as she was interning at a local animal hospital while studying to become a veterinarian, he could never see himself dating another blonde again. Not after Anna or Alex. And definitely not when his "roommate" was plenty to keep him satisfied.

"So how was your day at work?" Bethany asked as they climbed the three flights to their floor.

"Good. The usual. Crabby men and uptight women asking for coffee all day long. Honestly – I think that's all do around there. Drink coffee."

Bethany laughed and touched Seth's arm flirtatiously, "Oh, I'm sure they'll have you doing some cases in no time."

Seth smiled and switched his briefcase to the opposite hand, causing Bethany's hand to come out of contact with Seth's arm, "So, umm… how was the animal hospital?"

"Oh, it's hard seeing all those animals hurt but just knowing I'm making a difference in their lives helps."

Seth knew she didn't do much at the animal hospital. Her job involving the animals extended about as far as weighing them. Weighing animals isn't exactly making a huge difference in their lives – but for some reason Bethany seemed to think so. Or at least she acted like it did.

"There was this puppy in there today," Bethany continued, "He couldn't have been more than six months. And he was throwing up and he couldn't walk straight. Even when we looked at him, his eyes couldn't focus on one single thing. He kept looking everywhere. Lord knows how dizzy he must have been."

"Guess that shows there's truth to the saying 'sick as a dog,' huh?" Seth replied, shifting uncomfortably.

Bethany giggled and returned her hand to Seth's arm as they reached the third floor, "Seth, you really are very -"

Bethany was cut off when Seth's apartment door swung open to reveal a stern looking Summer glaring between Bethany and Seth.

"Oh, hey Summer," Bethany smiled. "Seth here was just telling me -"

Summer cut her off, "I heard. I could hear you giggling two floors down."

Bethany's smile faded and Summer's glare intensified while Seth stood there awkwardly watching the exchange between his girlfriend and their neighbor.

"So, umm," Seth began, "I'll see you around, Bethany. Have a good night." Seth pushed Summer lightly back into the apartment as he turned around and gave Bethany a wave.

"Goodnight, Seth," Bethany smiled as Seth closed the door.

He turned around to see Summer staring at him with her arms crossed over her chest.

Seth stood there puzzled, still clutching his briefcase, "What?"

She didn't answer him and instead turned swiftly on her heel and into their bedroom and slammed the door.

Seth sighed as he set his briefcase down and reached up to loosen his tie. He sighed and walked the three feet to the couch, plopping down and switching on the television just in time for the five o'clock news.

Summer had been getting this way lately. Throwing glares and stomping off had recently become one of her favorites hobbies ever since they moved in together two months prior, right after finishing off their sophomore year at their respective schools in Rhode Island. She wasn't pregnant – he had made the awful mistake of asking her that the previous night in which she stormed out of the apartment yelling something about him being a dick – and it wasn't "her time of the month," as Seth liked to call it, because he hadn't found any grossly disgusting remnants in the bathroom trashcan lately.

That was one of the many things Seth was still getting used to when living with Summer. He wasn't fully prepared for the abundant amount of female products to overflow in the apartment. Sure, he knew Summer was female and would of course have these things but he just didn't really realize it until he was faced with living amongst them.

Summer had a job as an intern at a very low profile magazine company in LA. She had decided towards the end of her freshman year that she wanted to become a journalist, which at the time Seth hadn't taken seriously seeing as that entire year she had switched majors about five times since he had arrived in Rhode Island that second semester. But instead, she surprised him by seriously getting involved in Brown's school newspaper and yearbook their sophomore year while he, on the other hand, transferred to Johnson & Wales University, deciding that designing comic books was not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, finding law much more intriguing. This decision greatly contributed to the overabundance of happiness from his father when Seth told him of his new plan and his parents graciously handed over the money for the new schooling. Granted, the University was a bit further away than the Rhode Island School of Design was to Brown (by three minutes), but his parents had agreed to let him get a car and bring it back with him to Rhode Island. This fact, however, still did not stop Summer from complaining that her boyfriend was too far to walk to if there was a blizzard and they couldn't drive. Fortunately, it turned out perfectly fine and it actually helped both Summer and Seth make more friends separately now that they weren't within walking distance from each other at all times of the day.

Which, during their freshman year they took full advantage of, almost always staying in Summer's dorm room seeing as her roommate only lasted the first semester before dropping out and Summer never receiving a new roommate the second semester. Summer deemed Seth her "new roommate" and they were practically inseparable that semester.

The first summer back from college was tough on them. Not only were they no longer "living together," but also it was the first time they arrived back in Newport to be greeted by accidental run-ins with other Harbor graduates of 2006. That summer was extremely difficult for Summer especially because everything seemed to remind her of the previous one where she spent the majority of the time wallowing in the sudden loss of her best friend, camping out at the Cohen's because Julie's wails numbingly filled her own house.

This summer she had come up with the fantastic idea to move into an apartment in LA for the four months and get experience in her chosen field of work. When she ran this idea by Seth, he had willingly obliged, not wanting to spent another summer wallowing in the loss of Marissa Cooper that would inevitably come from both his girlfriend and his brother. Thankfully, Ryan had also decided to move up to LA for the summer months along with his girlfriend of almost year, Lana. Lana was relatively tall, not Marissa tall but about 5'7, and had brown hair that only reached right below her ears. She was rather outgoing and talkative, much like Seth, but that suited Ryan well seeing as he had grown even quieter during the months following Marissa's death. Ryan met Lana on his semester abroad in Australia his sophomore fall semester and ever since Lana had been at his side.

And that made Seth happy. Because Lana was no drama. And Lana was happy and talkative. So now Ryan was too.

Just then, Seth's phone vibrated in his suit's pocket and he looked at the caller ID before flipping it open, "Speak of the devil and he doth appear."

"What?" Ryan questioned.

"I was just thinking about you."

Ryan laughed and then replied, "Well, I'm gonna take that in the non-sexual way and instead offer you and Summer an invitation to dinner with me and Lana on Friday night."

"Sounds like a date."

"You really need to work on the phrases, bro."

This time it was Seth to laugh, "Oh come on, you know you love them."

"Yeah, yeah," Ryan muttered. "Oh, and try mentioning this dinner to Summer earlier than Friday afternoon this time, okay?"

"So Friday morning?" Seth replied sarcastically.

"I'll see you Friday, Seth," Ryan ignored Seth's comment and hung up his phone.

Seth smiled at his phone and shut it. Yeah, Ryan was definitely happier.

"Seth!"

Seth, on the other hand, not so much.

Seth sighed and switched the TV off, "Yes, Summer?"

"Don't 'yes, Summer' me," Summer reappeared in their living room, "I've been waiting for you to come and apologize for the past twenty minutes and you haven't even once set foot anywhere near the hallway!"

"Well, actually I have because this apartment isn't that huge so me just coming to the couch is only about five feet away -"

"Seth!" Summer bellowed placing her hands on her hips.

Seth sighed and stood up from the couch, walking the short distance to where Summer was standing and placing a kiss on her forehead, "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Summer questioned, still angry.

Seth stared at her confused, "Umm… ahh… well, I guess for whatever it is I'm apologizing for."

"You're apologizing for something you don't know what you're apologizing for?" Summer asked pointedly.

"Well, that's what you wanted me to do, wasn't it?" Seth asked skeptically.

"No!" Summer yelled. "I wanted you to apologize for something you've been clearly doing for the past two months!"

Seth was starting to lose his patience. "What have I have been clearly doing for the past two months? Because, unfortunately, clearly for you is like, ah," Seth stuttered trying to think of an antonym for 'clearly,' which just wasn't coming to him, "ah… umm, not clearly for me!"

"Well, maybe you can go ask Bethany! I'm sure she'll know what you're doing that's upsetting me so much!"

"_Bethany_? This is about Bethany? _Again_? Summer, I _love_ you!" Seth gripped Summer's shoulders.

Summer swatted Seth's arms away from her shoulders. "Oh my God, this is unbelievable! You always resort to that! Like it somehow sympathetically makes me feel better!"

"Well, it should," Seth quieted down as he flopped back down on the couch, giving up on ending this fight with Summer.

"So that's it?" Summer looked over incredulously at Seth as he turned the TV back on. "That's all your gonna say?"

"That's all I'm going to say," Seth replied, still staring at the screen.

Summer made a 'Humph' noise and began walking back to their bedroom as Seth spoke up again, "Actually," Summer turned around ready and expecting to argue a bit more, "Ryan called and invited us to dinner on Friday night with him and Lana. I told him we'd go."

"Well, that was nice of you to ask me if I was available."

"Yes, Ms. Pleasant."

"I hate you!" Summer stomped off to the bedroom and slammed the door for the second time that night.

And Seth was starting to get the feeling that it wouldn't be the last time Summer repeated that action or her last sediment tonight.


	2. The Chinese Food, Outings, & Kisses

**A/N: I don't own the OC. Or Paris Hilton.**

**Thanks for all the reviews – I really appreciated it and it gave me a clear heading for how my first chapter went and how the rest of the story (hopefully) is gonna go.**

**Also, like I said before, I love drama. I feel that drama makes a good story. Plus drama equals reality and I'm a big fan of getting my head out of the clouds and into real life situations. So that's what's gonna happen here. But staying true to my childish roots and being someone of mind, body, & Sethummer – there's no way I can avoid romance & fluff.**

**Eventually.**

**Please read & review. Reviews are probably my favorite things ever. (At least on this site they are.)**

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Seth didn't know how long he had fallen asleep on the couch for but when he woke up it was no longer light out and the faint smell of Chinese food flooded the apartment. He sat up and looked over to the kitchen – if it could even be called that – and saw Summer sitting on the counter with her back towards him, eating out of a Chinese take-out box.

Seth got up and wandered his way over to the refrigerator, opening it up and reaching for a Pepsi can. He then searched for the other Chinese take-out and, without seeing any, turned around and looked at Summer, who was eyeing her food intently.

"Where's the rest of it?" Seth asked as he took a gulp from his Pepsi.

"Where's the rest of what?" Summer asked innocently.

"The take-out. You know, the stuff -" Seth grabbed a fork on the counter and took some noodles from her box and shoved them into his mouth, "- you're eating."

"Ew, Cohen," Summer snatched her box away from his prodding fork. "I didn't get anymore."

Seth's mouth was full but that didn't stop him from talking, "You didn't get anymore? What – did you just think I wouldn't be hungry?"

"You shouldn't talk with your mouth full."

Summer jumped down from the counter just as Seth lifted her back up and kept her in place by holding each of his hands at either side ofher waist. "Well, I am. Now why didn't you get me anything?"

"You were asleep."

Seth rolled his eyes. "That's never stopped you before. Next excuse."

"I thought you went out to eat with Bethany."

"Summer!" Seth lifted his hands from her waist and threw them into the air in frustration, giving Summer the opportunity to jump back down from the counter and slink out to the living room. "Bethany got to the apartment building the same time I did so we walked up the three flights of stairs and made small talk." Seth followed her out to the living room. "Now how exactly does this brand me for a jerk? Or a dick? Or whatever name it is you're calling me tonight?"

This time it was Summer's turn to act nonchalant about the whole argument. "You said you wanted another excuse. I gave you one. No need to get so dramatic." Seth rolled his eyes again. "And anyway I'm glad you're up, I wanted to tell you that I'm going out for a little while with Chad."

"Chad and…?"

"No one else. Just Chad," Summer smiled to herself and sat on the couch.

"Right. So you can yell at me for walking up stairs with Bethany but it's completely fine if you go out for drinks or whatever with Chad."

"It's a business meeting."

"Business meeting my ass," Seth scoffed as he grabbed his keys, "I'm going to get some food. Have fun."

"Bye baby," Summer smiled sweetly as Seth plastered on a fake smile and walked out the door.

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Summer didn't know why exactly she decided to call Chad up for drinks earlier that night. Well, that was a lie. Of course she knew why she did it. She wanted to make Seth jealous. But she knew she was being completely irrational with the whole Bethany issue. Which, well, there wasn't really an issue at all. So, okay, yeah there was that first week in the laundry room on the basement floor when Summer first met Bethany and Bethany kept going on and on about this guy she'd met in the building. She deemed him "totally adorable" and "completely date-worthy" and she was determined to "snatch him right up" and, coincidentally enough, Bethany's crush turned out to be Seth, but that didn't mean Seth had to get yelled at for it.

Summer was just finding herself more and more insecure in their relationship because she could no longer even count on her fingers and toes _combined_ how many college and twenty-something aged women had either a) hit on him at parties, bars, or anywhere else or b) told Summer she was "so lucky" to have such a great boyfriend and if she ever let him go, they'd grab him. Yeah, okay, guys hit on her too, but lately it had not nearly been as much as the entire population of the female species in America hitting on Seth.

Hell, he even had gay guys commenting on his clothes and then asking for his number.

Which wouldn't be a total surprise if it weren't for the fact that this was never the case in high school. Not even during their freshman year of college. But sophomore year comes around, he changes schools, styles his hair in a slightly different way, and dresses a little more sophisticated and suddenly girls are everywhere.

And was Summer enjoying Seth's newfound appeal? Yeah, hmmm, that would be a negative.

Besides, it really didn't matter if she was going out for "drinks or whatever" with Chad because as much as she wanted to make Seth jealous, she didn't want guys bombarding her asking her out. Regardless of her actions as of late, she was happy with Seth and didn't want other guys drooling over her, trying to get her number. And going out with Chad really honestly didn't mean a thing. Because Chad had a boyfriend.

Yes, a boyfriend who looked like an Abercrombie model and answered to the name of Stephen.

But Seth didn't need to know that.

"Hey, Sunshine!" Chad ran up to her as she entered the bar and enveloped her in a hug, "So what's up, sweetie?"

"Lots," Summer sighed as they sat down, "Seth and I are fighting."

"Again?" Chad asked sadly as he rubbed his hand up and down her arm. "What happened now?"

"Nothing really," Summer tried to swat away the tears that were threatening to fall. "It's just that stupid Bethany. She keeps trying to hit on him and I don't like it."

"So you got mad at Seth for Bethany hitting on him?"

"Well, yes… no… I don't know! You make it sound stupid."

"Isn't it?" Chad asked pointedly but after receiving a glare from Summer, tried to cover up his mistaken question, "Well, not stupid but… over reactive?"

"No!" Summer jumped. "I just don't want other people hitting on him!"

"Sweetie," Chad scooted closer to her and slung an arm over her shoulders, "Seth's a great guy. You say he's funny, caring, respectful… and from the pictures I've seen he looks way hott." Summer giggled as Chad swatted her arm lightly. "So of course girls are gonna hit on him. But that doesn't mean he's gonna leave you for them."

Summer merely nodded, even though deep down she knew that this was exactly what she was afraid of – It wasn't Seth getting more attention than her.

It was Seth realizing he's getting more attention than her and then finding out he could do better.

"Summy, look at me," Chad's hand tilted her chin towards him, "Seth Cohen worships you. You have nothing to worry about. Unless you keep treating him like this then maybe you might."

"I know," Summer sighed, "I just don't like all these stupid, fake girls constantly around. I mean, Bethany, she's like, a walking replica of Paris Hilton. And she wants my boyfriend."

"Umm, Sum… Paris Hilton? Ew. No decent guy _wants_ Paris Hilton. Did you see her homemade video? She didn't even _look_ good." Chad swiped his hand through the air.

Summer laughed, "You know what I mean."

"Summy, don't worry so much. Instead have really great sex with that hott piece of ass you lovingly refer to as your boyfriend. And I'll continue to admire from afar, relish in your stories, and picture the beyond adorable babies you two will have."

Summer laughed again, this time whole-heartedly, "Alright, I like that plan. Now what about some Mudd Pie?"

"I was watching my figure but I suppose I can take an interruption in the diet for some Mudd Pie with the hottest girl on the planet."

Summer smiled again. Chad was like a girl's best friend. Dogs were men's and Chad was hers. And Summer needed one of those ever since her best friend left her two years earlier.

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Seth arrived back to the apartment, a sandwich from a nearby sub shop in tote, and he was opening up his door when Bethany popped out of her own apartment.

"Hey Seth!"

Seth stopped fumbling with the keys and looked over at Bethany bewildered. "Oh, umm, hey Bethany."

Bethany was dressed in gym shorts and a tank top that was either two sizes too small or was designed to end right above her bellybutton. Seth really didn't want to know which. She began walking over towards Seth as he began fumbling with his keys again.

"You really have lots of trouble with your keys, don't you?" Bethany asked as she put her hands over Seth's, helping him with the keys.

"Umm," Seth pulled his hands away from the doorknob and out of Bethany's grip, "Yeah, I guess, sort of."

Bethany giggled and shifted the doorknob to open the door slightly and take a peek in, "Is Summer home?"

Seth stuttered knowing exactly what Bethany was up to, "Umm… ahh, you know, I don't know. But, ahh, I really have to… have to, umm, get some work done so I'll just ahh, talk to you later, okay?" Seth reached for the doorknob as Bethany put her arm on the doorframe, blocking Seth from getting through.

"I heard you and Summer arguing earlier. You've been doing that a lot lately haven't you?"

Seth didn't know how to quite respond to that so he just shrugged his shoulders.

Bethany continued. "People who aren't in happy and healthy relationships argue a lot and it brings down their confidence and self-esteem."

Seth swallowed. "Well, I never was one to, ah, really have an overabundance of confidenceor self-esteem so that's, umm, really no problem." Seth tried to move Bethany's arm kindly but she still wouldn't budge.

"Seth…" Bethany whispered as she drew her face closer to Seth's.

Seth didn't realize what she was doing until he saw her eyes close and felther lips collide with his. His immediate reaction was to wince and spit because the lip-gloss she was wearing was burning his lips but instead he justnicely pushed Bethany away and he swiftly maneuvered his way into his apartment while Bethany looked at him bewildered.

"Look, I love Summer. I always have. Since I was 10, actually. And I don't want to leave her. I don't care if we argue all the time or yell at each other because the good far outweighs the bad. I just don't want anyone else. And I sincerely apologize if I, umm, accidentally gave off that vibe or whatever but I'm in love with Summer so, umm, yeah, umm, goodnight." Seth, then not knowing what else to say and afraid of what Bethany might try to do next, shut the door on a very shocked Bethany.

When Seth closed the door, he turned around and stood against it, taking in a deep breath. What was with all these girls lately? They were everywhere, winking, smiling, flirting, _kissing_ him wherever he went.

"Something's gotta be in the water," Seth muttered to himself as he fell onto the couch and his stomach grumbled, shaking his thoughts of the world's women and their weird actions out of his head and focusing on the food still in his hand.

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Summer walked quietly into the apartment much later that night. She hadn't realized that nearly four hours had flown by while she was at the bar and it was suddenly midnight. Summer had quickly said goodbye to Chad, saying she'd see him in only eight short hours, and grabbed a cab to get back to her apartment.

She had had a little bit to drink, thanks to Chad being born two years before her, but she could clearly see Seth sleeping soundly on the couch.

Summer brought her hands, which were still clasping her keys, up to her mouth to stifle the 'aw' sound that was threatening to escape. There was Seth; curled up in a ball form with his hands held together, reaching up under his chin to cover his neck. He had on long gym pants that cuffed at the ankles (of which Summer hated with a passion, declaring they should go back to 1987 where they belonged) with white socks and his old and outdated Death Cab for Cutie t-shirt wrinkling in the crevices of his torso.

She couldn't tell if it was the alcohol talking or her sudden need to be close to her beyond adorable boyfriend, but she walked quietly over to the couch and straightened out his legs, taking his arms and placing them around her petite body as she settled into the couch, lying right next to him. With her face turned towards his sleeping one, she reached up slightly and left a lingering kiss on his lips. Seth unconsciously pursed his lips together and tightened his grasp around Summer. Summer smiled, uttering the phrase "I love you" ever so quietly, and found she too was drifting soundly off to sleep.

So she didn't exactly explain herself for her impossible mood swings or tell him that nothing happened at the bar with Chad because Chad swung the other way.

But she supposed that could wait until tomorrow.


	3. The Master of All Games

**Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own it.**

**A/N: Not much to say. Thanks for all the reviews. I greatly appreciate them. I'm going on vacation, so yeah, that's fun. And I'll be back in a week and I'll probably post another chapter then. (Probably being the keyword in that sentence.)**

**Reviews are awesome. So leaving one would be an awesome thing on your part.**

**Read. Enjoy. Review.**

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Summer rarely apologized. Or admitted she was wrong. Instead, she always tried to shrug it off and act as if nothing had happened.

Summer lying on top of Seth, sound asleepon the couch while Seth's left arm went numb showed that this was one of those times.

Seth looked at Summer's sleeping face – her hair falling gracefully across half of her face and her mouth barely open a fraction of an inch – and smiled. He also noticed her legs were tangled amongst his and her arm was gripping around his waist. Seth also couldn't help but snicker at the fact that Summer was still dressed in her previous day's attire and knew that when she woke up she'd be angry for sleeping in her "day wear," as she chose to call it.

Seth chose to call it clothes.

He hadn't heard Summer come in the night before but he noticed from the small, quiet breaths coming from her mouth that she had consumed a bit of alcohol. He wasn't completely comfortable with that because of her being out on a "business meeting" with that Chad guy but he refused to over-think it.

Summer had met Chad at the magazine company she worked for. Apparently, he worked in her same division, had very similar work duties, and was a recent graduate California's very own Berkeley. Seth had tried to get Ryan to find out some information on him back a month ago but Ryan strongly declared that aside from popular belief, he did not know all 35,000 students nor could he just get information on any single student on a whim. Seth thought this was a stupid excuse. Ryan thought he was being ridiculous.

Tomatoe, tomato.

Summer didn't seem to go out with Chad after work too often – maybe she had a handful of times – but it still madeSeth feel uneasy. He had never met the guy and Summer never mentioned a whole lot about him. Because of this, Seth felt a little more than worried knowing Summer had some guy she found interesting spending eight hours a day, five days a week with her. Plus, the fact that Summer came back to the apartment with her breath smelling ofvodka didn't exactly put his thoughts to rest.

But Summer refused to accept his jealously and instead told him to grow a backbone and yet, for some reason, she was able to get completely jealous over him and his non-existent friendship with Bethany.

Huh. That didn't sound like a hypocrite at all.

Of course, if Seth even mentioned the word hypocrite to her he might as well throw himself off a bridge because Summer would just do it anyway. She had just been in _that _kind of mood lately.

Seth couldn't ignore the numbing of his arm so he twisted himself out from underneath Summer and sat up. Summer unconsciously tried to curl further into Seth but he was able to step over her and stand firmly on the floor in front of the couch. Thankfully Summer hadn't woken up to his movements and Seth decided to lift her up and bring her into the bedroom. Not only was the position they had been in uncomfortable, but also Seth knew he'd get a beating if he left her there by herself and she woke up with a sore neck.

Seth carried her attentively into their bedroom and let her fall softly onto her side of the bed. That was one of the first things Summer did when they moved into the apartment a few months earlier – she made both her and Seth decide on either the left side or the right side of the bed to claim as their own. She declared thatthis made their living arrangement more comfortable and that after they stayed on their respective sides for a number of nights, they'd curl into one another simplyout of habit. Plus the foam of their pillows and the bed would form to their own body shapes making their sleeping hours some of the most pleasant hours of their lives.

Summer was big on forming things to make each of them feel comfortable in a place that had nothing "homey" about it. Seth was big on keeping Summer happy. So it all worked out, really.

Seth slid into his side of the bed – the left – as he lifted up the covers and turned to face Summer's sleeping facade. Her hair was once again falling in her face so Seth tucked it behind her ear and he felt her skin heat up in reaction to his touch. He smiled and kissed her forehead and then turned onto his back, placing his arm underneath his head, and glanced up at the ceiling. Suddenly, Summer's body was once again curled up against his – her arm stretching around his torso and her head finding a nice resting placein the crook of his neck. He tookhis hand that wasunderneath his head and placed it around Summer's body, pulling her impossibly closer.

Even though they had been fighting a lot lately, it was still nice to know Summer unconsciously needed to be close to Seth.

It made all of the previous day's arguments seem insignificant in comparison when he saw his beautiful girlfriend sleeping peacefully at his side.

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"Summer," Seth whispered as he shook Summer's body softly with one hand and balancing the cup of dark coffee in his other. "Summer, it's seven in the morning and it's still a weekday regardless of the alcohol you consumed last night."

Summer stirred and squinted her eyes up at Seth. "What?"

"You need to get up," Seth rubbed her back soothingly. "Here's your coffee. And I left theaspirin on the dresser."

"Why the aspirin?" Summer asked as she reached for the coffee and sat up, suddenly noticing a headache. "Damnit, my head fucking kills."

Seth, who had now moved towards the door, stopped and turned towards her again. "You might want to take two. Just in case." He smirked, while Summer sat there puzzled, and he resumed moving out of the room.

Summer attempted to get out of bed and get theaspirin, but with her head aching as much as it did, her feet were just not working. It was then she suddenly realized she was still in yesterday's outfit and then she remembered her outing with Chad.

"Seth!" Summer shouted only to be answered by the sounds of the water running in the shower across the hallway from their bedroom.

Summer made a grunting noise, knowing Seth couldn't hear her, and she forced herself to move off the bed and get theaspirin off of the dresser herself.

She knew Seth was probably still pissed about her accusations from the day before. Realizing that Seth could have easily put theaspirin on the nightstand right next to her side of the bed, rather than the dresser which was located in the furthest part of the room, undoubtedly proved this. Although Seth would always take care of Summer, hangover or otherwise, he still would make it difficult for her if he was that pissed off enough.

Guess her whole idea of just skipping over her insecurities and hopping right into the make-up sex was not happening.

Summer downed the twoaspirin with her coffee, which, probably wasn't one of her smarter ideas but it's all she had and there was no way she could make it to the kitchen to get some water.

Even if it was a small apartment and the kitchen was easily less than fifteen feet away.

In Summer's state, she rationalized; there was no way she could make it into work today. She looked on the nightstand for her phone, but not seeing it there, she glanced around the room, only moving her head when completely necessary. Suddenly it dawned on her that it was probably still out on the couch.

Summer sighed and decidedly opted for the bed rather than her phone and walked slowly over, placing the coffee on the nightstand, and falling slowly back onto it, face down, arms limply lying beside her. She lay there for what she thought was a bazillion minutes, waiting for Seth to come out of the shower so he could go get her some water and fetch her her phone.

"Wow," Summer mumbled, "Since when does Cohen take long showers?"

She really hated when she got drunk when she was in a fight with Seth. It somehow always gave him the upper hand in the morning.

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Seth stepped out his long, hot shower grinning. It was nice having the power in his and Summer's relationship – especially since it hardly ever happened. Sure he could have put theaspirin on Summer's nightstand. And yeah, maybe he could have answered Summer's shout for him earlier instead of ignoring it, opting to turn on the water. And he most certainly could have taken a five-minute shower in relatively warm water rather than a half hour shower using as much hot water as his body's skin could handle.

But where would the fun be in that?

Seeing Summer squirm was one of his favorite pastimes. Well, seeing Summer _anything _was one of his favorite pastimes but squirming sure fell higher on the list. Probably right after seeing Summer naked.

Seth slipped on a pair of plaid boxers and rubbed his towel through his hair as he made his way back into the bedroom.

Summer's pathetic state on the bed almost made him feel bad for treating her the way he had so far that morning.

Almost.

"Hey, Sum," Seth smiled. "You getting up anytime soon? You gotta leave for work in an hour."

Summer flipped her head on the pillow to the other side to see Seth smiling over at her, "I'm not going to work."

Seth stopped drying his hair with his towel and sat on the bed lightly, rubbing her back. "You know this will be your fifth day calling out sick from work."

Summer grunted and Seth laughed a little, responding, "See, I think this might be why the government decided the drinking age was twenty-one and not nineteen."

Summer glared at him and Seth got up from the bed to finish getting ready. Summer reached for his arm. "Can you get me some water and my phone? My throat's really dry and I need to call work to let them know I won't be in."

Seth nodded, unable to keep up his nonchalant front when Summer was looking so pitiful.

"Thank you, baby." Summer smiled graciously and turned her head back to the other side. Seth went into the kitchen to get the glass of water. He then searched around the area for her phone but couldn't find it so he just returned with the water.

"Thanks, Cohen," Summer smiled faintly.

"I couldn't find your phone."

"Oh... well... it's okay."

Seth returned her smile and leaned down to kiss her cheek, "Feel better, Sum." Summer smiled a bit wider as Seth stood up again and walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Seth was just walking out of the apartment when he noticed Summer's shiny pinkish purple purse wedged awkwardly between the wall and the table holding the TV. "How the hell did that get there?" Seth reached over, pulling it out rather roughly, and searched through for her phone. He decided he might as well just call Summer's boss and tell her himself so that Summer would avoid being asked too many questions while her head throbbed.

He skimmed through her contact list finally coming to a number identified through the name "Ceverely #1." Knowing that "Ceverely" was the name of Summer's magazine company but not knowing what #1 meant, he scrolled down and found two more numbers to confuse him further: Ceverely #2 and Ceverely #3.

"Hey, Sum…?" Seth shouted as he began to walk back over to the bedroom door, "I'm not sure -" Seth was cut off by the number that followed Ceverely #3 – Chad.

"Oh, you know what? Never mind!" Seth yelled, retreating back into the living room.

Seth stared at Summer's phone which had Chad's name highlighted. He put his thumb over the 'Send' button and hesitated.

It's not like he was doing anything wrong. He just wanted to let someone know Summer wouldn't be in to work that day. And he didn't know what all those different Ceverely numbers meant. Asking Summer when she was sick was rudeandimpolite. Chad worked with Summer. It was obviously the best idea to call him. Plus, it didn't hurt to get to know the guy who was getting his girlfriend drunk on a weekday.

"Yeah," Seth rationalized quietly to himself, "I can just call Chad and let him know."

Seth pressed the button his thumb was still covering and slowly held the phone up to his ear.

"Hey there!" a rather perky voice for such an early morning answered. "How are you?"

"Umm…" Seth stuttered. "This isn't Summer. Actually my name's Seth. I'm Summer's boyfriend."

"Oh my goodness!" Chad replied. "It is so nice to finally talk to you! I've heard so much about you!"

Wow. Was it just him or did Chad sound a little girly?

"Ah, yes, well… Chad, right?" Seth questioned just to make sure he had the correct number.

"Sure is! Summer's told you about me? Aw, that girl is just too cute. You sound very charming. Such a strong voice. You and Summer must be _perfect_ together!"

A wave of realization flooded through Seth. He didn't need to be jealous of Chad.

Cause, well, Chad was gay.

And Summer had definitely left that tidbit of information out. Especially yesterday when she made it sound like a "date-like" business meeting.

"Well," Seth began again, noticing Chad had finished talking and was waiting for Seth's response, "I just wanted to call and let you know Summer wasn't going to be into work today. You'll let the important people know?"

Chad giggled. _Giggled. _Oh, yeah. That was a clincher.

"Of course, Seth. I'm sorry for taking her out last night and getting her drunk but she was just so stressed with work and all."

"Oh, it's really all right."

"Make sure Summy gets better!"

Seth smiled deviously, "Oh, you can count on it. Thanks."

"No problem at all."

Seth flipped Summer's phone shut and smiled broadly to himself.

If Summer was going to play this game, well… then… she better be ready because there was no way Seth Cohen – Master of All Games – was going to lose this one.


	4. The Good and the Guilty

**Disclaimer: I do not own the OC. Really. No elaboration needed.**

**A/N: So thank to you to the reviewers for the past chapter – but I'm guessing that some people weren't as pleased with the last chapter as the one before it, due to the amount of reviews I got. Hopefully you'll enjoy this one… **

**My little trip to Boston was nice, glad to be back though. Expect a new chapter soon. I promise by early next week. And I never break promises. Pinkie swear.**

**Oh & I don't really know how lawyering (that is a word, yes?) works so don't kill me if I'm a little off-base.**

**Read. And enjoy. And please review because they're always appreciated. :)**

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Seth walked into the apartment, this time managing to sneak past Bethany to hide behind a tree, waiting for her to enter the apartment building before him, thus avoiding any uneasy confrontation.

And a bitch fest from Summer. Seeing as _somehow_ it would end up being his fault.

It didn't go unnoticed by him, however, that Bethany had taken a few glances over her shoulder. She also had taken an exceptionally long time to finally get her keys out of her Dior handbag and slowly open the door, still sliding an extra glance of the area for any sign of Seth before moving into the building and closing the door behind her.

"Hiding from that pretty lady?" A man who was holding a plastic bag in one hand and in the other, grasping a leash with a small terrier roaming the area for a place to mark his spot asked him.

Seth turned around at the sound of the stranger's voice. "Oh," Seth finally noticed the man who was smiling at him, "Yeah, something like that." Seth rubbed the back of his neck and leaned his head down, as he walked awkwardly to the apartment building.

"Don't really need to!" the man shouted as Seth continued walking. "She looks like a keeper!"

Seth grunted sardonically to himself as he entered the building.

He managed his way up the few flightsof stairs andopened his door, thankfully without Bethany hearing him and bounding out of her apartment to greet him with her lips, and walked into the apartment getting a sudden whiff of spaghetti sauce.

Summer spotted him, noticing that this time he was not accompanied by a 5' 10 model look-alike and smiled. "Hey, Cohen."

Seth returned the smile and put his briefcase down, going over to the spaghetti without greeting Summer. For once, he was going to make her putty in his hands until she gave up pitifully and finally admitted to him why she had been acting so testy lately and lying about her friend, Chad.

Okay, so it wasn't exactly a lie but it was definitely leaving important facts out.

Summer frowned as Seth merely grabbed his plate and walked over to the couch, putting the TV on and his legs up on the coffee table. Without saying a word, she followed him, having to step over his legs that he didn't move for her to get through, and sat next to him on the couch.

She knew she should probably apologize and explain herself, especially after last night, but with Seth's ignorance of her presence _and_ her attempt at making dinner for the two of them, she was not exactly content enough to do so. So she did the next best thing.

"Yeah, so I think I'm going to go with Chad again tonight." Seth looked up from his plate. "We didn't really finish our meeting so we gotta get that done."

Summer smirked. Stubborn Summer always got her way with Seth Cohen.

"Oh." Seth replied casually. Right, so she was still trying to hide the fact that Chad was gay and wanted to continue trying to make Seth jealous? Okay then. Game on.

"Yeah." Why was he not reacting to this at all?

"So, Bethany kissed me last night," Seth blurted out.

Summer nearly dropped her fork with spaghetti wrapped all around it on her lap, "Umm… what?"

"Bethany kissed me last night."

"No, I heard that. Why?"

Seth turned back towards the TV, "I don't know."

"And you just let her?"

"No. But she did it anyway."

Summer sat up, placing her plate on the coffee table. There was no way she could try and calm down when she was reaching rage blackout mode. "Did you like it?"

"No," he answered truthfully. "Her lip gloss was cinnamon or something. It really burned my lips."

"That's why you didn't like it," she asked deadpanned, making it sound more like a statement that Seth decided to answer anyway.

"Mostly."

Summer stood there agape. Did that just mean what she thought it meant?

"So if it had been a different lip gloss would you have liked it?"

Seth stood up from the couch and checked his pants pocket to make sure his keys were there. "Who knows? I have to go. Meeting with the boss. Hoping for a promotion from being the coffee boy." Seth leaned down and kissed Summer's forehead. "Have a fun night with Chad," Seth finished sincerely as he opened the apartment door and left.

Summer sat there, still staring at the door. After a few minutes of questioning her daze, looking between the door and the blank TV screen in front of her, her mouth finally caught up with her mind. "What the fuck?"

After snapping out of her befuddlement, Summer stomped over to the door, opening it and slamming it shut behind her, making her way over to Bethany's door, banging on it. Bethany almost immediately answered.

"Hi, whore," Summer smiled brightly but falsely, tilting her head to the side and pushing her way into Bethany's apartment.

"Umm…" Bethany began giving artificial looks of concern towards Summer. "Hey, Summer. How was your day at work?"

"Great. I'd ask you how yours was but frankly I don't care." Summer crossed her arms, staring pointedly at Bethany. She waited for Bethany to respond but when she didn't after a few seconds, Summer continued on her rant, full steam ahead.

"Look. I know you like my boyfriend. I know you want to date him and show him off to your family and then get married at some fancy beach resort in the Bahamas." Bethany stood there opening her mouth as if to protest but Summer reached her hand up and put it out to stop her. "Save it. I hear your giggly phone conversations with whoever it is that can actually stand to be friends with you."

Bethany smiled innocently, "Well, Summer, Seth _is_ an adorable guy."

She really wasn't going to sugarcoat this was she?

"I know." Summer cut back into the conversation. There was no way this bitch was going to steal her thunder. Or her boyfriend. "But you see, the thing is, is he's _my_ adorable guy. Not yours. And you can't go around kissing other people's _adorable guys_."

"I just wanted to show Seth what else is out there."

"He knows what's out there. And he doesn't like it. He loves me."

"Are you so sure about that?"

_What?_ "Umm, what?"

"Are you sure that Seth loves you as much as you think he does?"

This skank really had some nerve, huh? "Of course I'm sure! What the hell kind of question is that?"

"Yeah, but he told you about our kiss didn't he?"

Ouch. _Our kiss_. Yeah, that stung a bit. "Well, yeah. We tell each other everything." Summer was starting to feel herself retreating into an imaginary corner. Which was not the intention of this intense rage she came over to Bethany's apartment with. In fact, it was pretty far from it.

"You tell each other everything of importance, correct?" Bethany questioned again.

Summer nodded her head, still fuming. Where the hell was she going with this?

"Well, then, by deducing your answers to my questions, obviously the kiss was important to him."

Summer's bottom jaw dropped. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Just think about it, Summer," Bethany started, "Seth told you either because of one of two reasons. Either he found it important enough to tell you instead of just shrugging it off as something that didn't matter thus making you upset or he told you to make you jealous so that you'd give him more attention – which, apparently, you have been lacking in lately."

"Who are you to tell me what I'm lacking in? You're not Seth. So you don't know what I'm lacking in. Which, for your information even though it's none of your business, _I_ am not lacking in _anything_," Summer sneered.

"Apparently Seth doesn't think so or else he wouldn't have told you about kissing me. Maybe you have something to worry about, Summer."

"I don't have anything to worry about," Summer answered with false confidence, slowly getting the feeling that maybe everything Bethany was saying was right.

"Face it. Maybe your relationship isn't as strong as you thought it was. Maybe it's about time to realize you've taken it as far as you two can go and that you both should just move on with the rest of your lives. Separately."

"Just stay away from my boyfriend," Summer retorted back to Bethany, trying to ignore her growing insecurities of her and Seth's relationship, "And that includes your lips."

"Night, Summer," Bethany smirked and shut her door.

Summer walked the short distance back to her apartment door, huffing to herself. That argument with Bethany had not gone over quite like she had planned.

When Summer went to open the door she discovered it was locked. Guess the rage blackout hadn't failed in making her forget everything when she left the apartment, including her keys or making a point to unlock the door.

Summer slinked down to the ground, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

A few tears slipped from her eyes, clouding her vision. Everything Bethany had said minutes earlier was finally starting to sink in and Summer was beginning to question herself. Did she have anything to worry about? Was this why Seth was acting more like a caretaker than a boyfriend lately? Did he find their relationship boring and too routine? Was the arguing annoying him so much that he had to turn to someone else for a little bit of solace?

Was Seth really not in love with her anymore?

Never before had a rage blackout failed in making her feel even the slightest bit better.

In fact, this one made her feel ten times worse.

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Seth walked into bar, glancing around for his boss. There was no sign of him yet so he just casually went over and found himself a seat.

Two girls on his right side kept eyeing him and when he looked over at them, the brunette with deep brown eyes met his own brown ones and smiled innocently. Seth waved uncomfortably as she began making her way over to him.

"Hi, I'm Mandy."

"Seth," he shook her hand as she sat down.

"So what are you doing here?" she asked taking a sip from her drink.

"Umm, meeting my boss for, umm, well, a meeting."

Mandy laughed and flirtatiously placed her hand on his that was resting on the counter. "Well, where is he?"

Seth shifted his hand uncomfortably underneath Mandy's. "Ah, I really don't know." He glanced around, hoping to suddenly find him.

"Aren't you gonna get a drink? Try pre-gaming it before the meeting with the dreaded boss?"

Seth finally took his hand and shoved it into the pocket of his pants. "No, not legal."

"You're not legal?"

Seth shook his head, hoping maybe this was an easy way to turn her off.

"Well, how old are you?"

"Twenty."

Mandy smiled and resumed her hand's search for another part of Seth's body to hold onto, settling on his thigh. Seth winced inwardly as the events were unfolding in front of him.

Seriously. Where the fuck were all these girls coming from? Was he like that stupid deodorant or cologne or whatever it was commercial where as soon as you spray some on girls throw themselves at you? And if that was the case, how come it wasn't working with Summer?

Suddenly Seth's boss appeared on his opposite side, "Seth."

Seth's head snapped to his left, "Mr. Gavey." He stood up and shook his hand.

"Did you bring you girlfriend along?" Mr. Gavey noted the girl sitting on Seth's right.

"Oh, umm, no. My girlfriend's at home in our apartment. This is Mandy. I just met her."

At the mention of a live-in girlfriend, Mandy's smile faded a bit and waved as she stood up from the bar. "Well, I guess your meeting's about to start. Nice to meet you, Seth." Mandy then retreated back to her friend where Seth saw she mouthed the word 'girlfriend' and the other girl's mouth formed the shape of an 'oh' as they both moved to a different area.

"Meeting, eh?" Mr. Gavey snapped Seth out of his thoughts. "At a bar? This isn't that formal." Mr. Gavey chuckled.

"Yeah, I didn't think so but I wasn't sure what else to call it."

"More like a proposition."

Seth's eyebrows rose, "Proposition?"

"Business-related, of course. You see, I know you haven't been getting as much exposure in the law field as you have hoped for but there is this new case that just came in that I really need help with."

Seth stared at his boss intently. "A new case?"

"Yeah, it's not one of our usual divorce and child custody cases. And it's definitely not one of those plastic surgery gone awry ones that the firm is slapped silly with. You want anything?" Mr. Gavey pointed towards the bar and Seth shook his head still waiting for him to continue.

"Alright. Suit yourself. Seven and seven," Mr. Gavey told the bartender. "Anyway, it's a corporate case. One of the those big accounting firms downtown are being sued by one of their big clients, claiming they made him pay for some extra thousands of dollars of taxes that he didn't need to pay. Thing is, this accounting firm – I believe – has done this sort of thing before and happened to get away with it. I'm almost positive this firm is hiding something but they refuse to say anything when I ask about it. Now, where I need you is I need you to do some extra digging around on this firm. Get as much information as you can so I can either find out what they're hiding and try to hide it in the case somehow or present a truthful case. I don't care if they're the biggest frauds in LA; I need this information to win my case. I represent them if they're wrong or right, but it doesn't look good if I don't win. I need to win. And in order to do that, I need all the information. And to get all the information since I don't have the time, I need you."

Mr. Gavey took a large swig from his drink and looked towards Seth, "Think you can handle it?"

"Of course, sir. What is the name of the company and where do I start?"

Mr. Gavey pulled out a piece of paper that had 'Neels, Harvard, & Sons' written on it and below the name was a website. "Start there," Mr. Gavey pointed at the website, "It should give you the basis of the information and I'll leave it up to you to find the rest on your own. I need you to have a little bit of info available for me by tomorrow morning. Not everything, obviously. But something to start my case to show them that I'm working on it. This isn't illegal – if that's what you're thinking – it's just they wouldn't be happy to know I was going behind their backs getting information. But I know I couldn't win without it so I'm actually doing their lying asses a favor. Alright," Mr. Gavey turned his attention to his hands which were reaching for his wallet, "Does that work for you, Seth?"

Seth nodded again, gripping the piece of paper in his hands. "Great." Mr. Gavey stood up from the bar and put some money onto the bar countertop. "I'll see you tomorrow morning. And thanks."

Mr. Gavey walked out of the bar and Seth fumbled with the piece of paper, smiling.

He was getting the upper hand in his relationship with Summer, girls were drooling all over him, and he was just assigned a real task at his job by his boss who actually trusted him to get the job done right.

Well, this day was turning out rather magnificent.

Seth smiled to himself and began walking out of the bar, back in the direction of his apartment.

"I bet this has something to do with the briefcase," Seth mumbled to himself happily. "Yeah, definitely glad I got the briefcase."

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"Hey Chad." Summer stood outside of Chad's apartment door and greeted him when he opened it.

Chad smiled at the girl in front of him. "Summy… your head feeling better?" Chad stood aside, letting Summer walk in.

"Yeah. Besides locking myself out of my apartment, that is. Wait, did Lily tell _everyone_ I was nursing a hangover?" Summer asked wondering how Chad knew she wasn't in work due to too much alcohol being put into her system the night before.

"What? Lily doesn't know you had a hangover. I told her you had a family emergency to deal with in Newport. I'm not that blonde. She would not take it too lightly to know you skipped out on work due to getting your cute little ass drunk the night before."

"Wait. How did you know about the hangover then?" Summer asked shockingly.

"Besides the fact that I'm the one who got you drunk – Seth also called me this morning."

"Seth called you?"

"Uh huh. He told me to tell the 'important people' you were sick. He's quite the charmer," Chad giggled.

Oh, now this whole Seth issue made sense. "Did you tell Seth anything else?"

"Not much. Well, I told him I got you drunk last night because you were stressed. But don't worry. I totally told him it was from work. I don't think he suspects it was because of him."

Summer sighed and held her head in her hands. Yeah, there was no way Seth couldn't tell from even the shortest phone conversation with Chad that Chad was gay. And Seth probably realized, on his own, that she had forgotten to mention this simple detail to him the night before when she attempted to make him jealous.

"Summy, you sure you're okay?" Chad rubbed her back soothingly.

Summer mumbled into her hands sardonically, "Yeah. Never better."


	5. The Growing Insecurities

**Disclaimer: True to continued fashion – I do not own the OC.**

**A/N: So, currently fluffy is not my thing. I apologize. Really, I do. Eventually it will come. I promise. Stick with me till then. I'm working on it, it's just – you ever heard that saying that "art imitates life?" Yeah, well, that wasn't a lie.**

**Enough of the pessimistic mood – Read. Enjoy (hopefully). And, as always, review. **

**Oh & P.S. – thank you so much to all the reviewers. You guys are pretty much awesome. :)**

**Oh & P.P.S. – Italicized sentences are previously said sentences by other people (mostly Bethany, a few from Seth) that Summer's repeating in her head. I hope it makes sense in the story… let me know if it does or doesn't so I can rework future chapters.**

**Another added note – wow, this is really long author's note – I attempted my first SS oneshot the other day. It's called "Home" and if you haven't read it, go check it out & let me know what you think. Maybe I'll try more in the future… who knows?**

**Alright – seriously. I'm done.**

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Seth looked up from his laptop, with his pen clenched between his teeth, when he heard a knock on the door.

He hesitated in answering, thinking it might be Bethany or Mandy or any other girl that might come along his way, but he opened the door, happy to see Summer standing there.

However, Summer didn't look so thrilled.

"Hey, Sum," Seth moved aside so Summer could walk in, "How was your night?"

Summer grunted as she walked into the kitchen, grabbing a Pepsi can from the refrigerator.

"Ahh, that good," Seth replied sarcastically.

Summer sighed, turning to face her boyfriend. "Look, I went out with Chad tonight. And I know you talked to him today. So I know you know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was just really aggravated."

Seth sighed, smiling. Why yes, Seth Cohen was winner of the game. "Summer, it doesn't really matter. It's just, you don't need to try and make me jealous."

Summer grunted into her Pepsi can.

Seth looked up from his laptop again, "Seriously. You kind of have me, don't you think? We _are_ living together."

Summer tried to smile, trying to ignore the growing uneasiness in her stomach, as she sat down on the couch next to him, kissing his cheek as she did so, "Yeah, we are." Summer's eyes turned to his laptop and all the work covering the coffee table. "What's all this?"

"Oh! Remember how I had a meeting with my boss tonight?" Summer nodded her head, waiting for him to continue. "Well, I got an assignment! I get to do some sort of research for this accounting firm in downtown LA. It's kind of undercover a bit – nothing illegal – and it's actually directly related to a case! I mean, I really have a lot of work to get done tonight and I'll probably only get two hours of sleep but finally! Something other than coffee runs!"

Summer felt happy for him and wished her insecurities – especially the ones that had come from talking with Bethany – would disappear so she could be just as happy too. Yeah, seconds earlier he had just said she had him but that was it. Sure, she had him but did he _want_ her? Was their love slowly fading and quickly turning into a relationship of convenience? – Because they both knew they had to live together in order to keep their current jobs. There weren't any other roommate prospects available and both she and Seth knew that. Granted, back when they first talked about moving in together she thought Seth was ecstatic; basically telling everyone he knew – which, truth be told, wasn't a lot of people – that he was moving in with "Summer Roberts aka his girlfriend." But after the newness of the situation faded, did he still really feel the same or was it all simply routine?

Seth noticed Summer's quietness throughout his continued ramble and although he knew she was probably upset about losing "the battle," as he chose to call it, he didn't think she'd be this wrought over it. He placed his hand over her thigh and tried to catch her attention, "Sum?"

Summer looked up into his questioning eyes. She didn't know what else to do to calm her insecurities so she toppled him over backwards onto the couch, kissing the hell out of him. She figured if he didn't pull back there was nothing to worry about but if he did, well… she just really hoped he wouldn't pull back.

"Hey," Seth mumbled into her lips, "Hey, Summer… Come on, stop." Seth pushed her wandering hands away from his face and hair, gently moving her off of him so he could sit back up.

He pulled back.

"You pulled back," Summer whispered.

"I… ah… what?" Seth questioned, genuinely confused, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "What was that - you attacking me? I just told you I have to get this work done tonight. I'll probably only get a few hours of sleep as it is. This new case is really important to me. And then suddenly you feel your sexual drive go into action so my own priorities don't matter? What the hell is wrong with you lately?"

Summer felt tears reaching the corner of her eyes. "I didn't… I don't… Jesus, Seth I don't fucking know!"

Seth stood up from the couch; "Summer, you can't keep jerking me around like this. I mean it. And you can't keep trying to parade other guys in front of me while I'm trying to fend off all the mounds of girls that are suddenly vying for my attention."

Summer sat there shocked. Seth backed down immediately. Yeah, Seth didn't mean for that to come out that way – or any way, really.

"Mounds of girls?"

"I didn't mean it like that." Seth shook his head, trying to stay calm.

"_Mounds of girls!_" Summer's voice grew louder and reverberated throughout the tiny apartment. In the back of her mind, she knew Bethany was listening intently to every word of this new forming argument but she couldn't help but let the anger get the best of her.

"Summer, will you just calm down? Let's be rational here. I'm not doing anything wrong. I don't think I'm ever doing anything wrong. But lately, for some reason, you've been trying to make it seem like everything's my fault."

Summer grunted again, rolling her eyes, not allowing the tone in her voice to calm or back down. "You're flirting with other girls! How is that not your fault?"

"I am not flirting with girls!" Seth shouted with as much intensity back, closing his eyes in aggravation, letting his attempt at staying calm during this new argument disappear.

"Oh, right. So girls are forgoing the introductions now and just right up in your face kissing you?"

Seth's voice softened a bit, noticing the screaming match he and Summer had found themselves in, "You know that's not what happened."

"I don't know that at all! Almost everyday you come home from work with Bethany attached to your side. Who knows how many other bimbos you're flirting with everywhere you go!"

"Where the hell is your trust in me? I don't go around flaunting myself off and you know that! I don't even have anything _to_ flaunt off! God… Summer, honestly what has gotten into you!"

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing. I guess I'm just finally realizing my boyfriend doesn't think I'm enough anymore," Summer's tears that had been held back so far in the argument started to cascade down her cheeks.

"Summer," Seth walked closer to her, his voice softening as he got closer, "Why do I always have to reassure you about this?" Seth smiled and rubbed her cheeks with his hands, lightly laughing, "God… you should be the one reassuring me."

"_Are you sure that Seth loves you as much as you think he does?"_

Summer couldn't think. And the only action she could muster up was to tear her face away from Seth's hands.

"_Maybe you have something to worry about, Summer."_

Bethany's voice from their earlier conversation was bellowing in the silence of Summer's head.

"Summer…" Seth reached for her again but she pulled away.

_"Face it. Maybe your relationship isn't as strong as you thought it was. Maybe it's about time to realize you've taken it as far as you two can go and that you both should just move on with the rest of your lives. Separately."_

"No!" Summer yelled throwing a pillow from the couch at Seth's chest to keep him from coming closer. "Just… no. Don't."

"Summer, stop it."

_"Hey, Summer... Come on, stop."_

Now Seth's controlling voice from minutes earlier, pushing her lips away from his clouded her shaky mind. Summer fell to the floor, covering her face to hide her sobs.

Seth watched her for a few moments, speechless. Never in their past few weeks of fighting had Summer broken. She always tried to come out the fighter, never backing down. Maybe he had played the game too hard. Maybe he had really hurt her.

Oh, God. He had hurt her.

"Summer," Seth fell to the ground in front of her, gathering her in his embrace, "I didn't mean to hurt you, Summer. Come on, baby. Don't cry."

_"I didn't mean to hurt you, Summer."_

Summer pulled away abruptly and stared coldly at Seth, "Don't touch me."

Seth's reply was stern, but gentle. "Stop it. Don't push me away. You need to tell me what's going on."

"No. I don't need to do anything." Summer stood up, walking towards the bedroom.

Seth called after her, "Summer. Please. Just _stop_."

Summer reached the bedroom and closed the door without turning back towards Seth. She walked limply over to the bed and sat on Seth's side, falling sideways and laying her head in his pillow that smelled faintly of his body scent.

She was losing him. She was sure of it now.

He hadn't said he loved her once during that entire argument, or drama fest, or whatever you wanted to call it. He had said 'stop' plenty of times but never said 'love.' And he didn't mean to hurt her.

Oh God, was he hurting her.

He wouldn't kiss her. He had mounds of girls chasing after him. He didn't mean to hurt her.

Summer hadn't cried this much in so long. Actually, now that she thought about it, she hadn't cried this much since the weeks following Marissa's death.

And with that thought, her tears turned into racking sobs wishing her best friend could walk her through this and tell her that she and Seth were meant to be and that they would get through this. After thinking this, she evilly laughed to herself. She should be past Marissa's death by now. She shouldn't be wallowing in already shed tears and instead should be out finding a new best friend to become her maid of honor for her future wedding.

A wedding she had always hoped would have Seth playing the part of the groom.

Summer concluded she was fucked up. Here she was, pathetically crying about a dead best friend and a failing relationship.

All she needed was a reassurance. A reassurance about _anything_.

Cause nothing was making sense anymore.

Summer lay there crying into Seth's pillow, trying to fall asleep for virtually four hours.

Seth hadn't once tried to come into the bedroom.

She saw the light that was coming from the hallway turn off at nearly 3am. Summer thought Seth would be coming to bed now and maybe they could forget the fight ever happened. Forget that Summer had pushed him away and forget that he had hurt her.

But he didn't come.

Summer waited. At 3:14am, she got up from the bed and quietly opened the door and took a peek out into the living room.

Seth was sleeping on the couch.

Summer retreated back into the bedroom, this time falling quickly asleep on her side of the bed to the sounds of her own cries.

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Summer was getting damn irritating lately, keeping all her emotions holed up, not voicing them to Seth. Seth had thought they had gotten past this back in high school. She didn't need to hide from him. She didn't need to put up her guard and push him away when she started feeling a little emotional.

But for some unknown reason she was resorting back to her high school ways.

And Seth hadn't a clue what to do about it.

He tried to work some more on his assignment knowing he had to get it done and also thinking it would help him keep his mind off of Summer.

Too bad it wasn't working.

After three hours he still only managed to write two pages of information. He inwardly cussed out Summer for making him feel this way; for making him incompetent when it came to getting his work done. But he just couldn't stay mad at her.

Because she was Summer. And he was Seth. And he loved her with every fiber in his scrawny, swimmers build body.

Seth finally gave up and shut off his laptop and the living room light, deciding it would probably be better to sleep on the couch for the night. He didn't have enough energy for Round 2 with Summer and he needed to get at least some sleep so he could muster up a terrific excuse for his boss as to why he only had two measley pages of information.

He lay with his head facing towards the ceiling, wishing he knew what was wrong with Summer. He didn't mean to play games with her so much that it hurt her – he just wanted to stop the constant arguing.

Seth loved Summer, but did she love him? Was it even worth working this hard in their relationship anymore?

Seth shook his head, scolding himself. He knew immediately that of course it was. But did Summer feel the same?

Because if she didn't, well, he might as well jump off a cliff because he really didn't think he could ever live without her. Even with all the girls that had made their single status known to him in the past few months, he knew he could never love any of them remotely as much as he loved Summer Roberts.

Suddenly, a single tear escaped his eye, running down his defined cheekbones.

Seth turned on his side and slowly faded into dreamland – where everything in reality was only a scary nightmare.

And for the first time in almost a year, Summer and Seth didn't sleep through the night against one another's beating chests.


	6. The Morning After

**Disclaimer: Owning the OC would require millions of dollars that I just don't have. You do the – easy – math.**

**A/N: Wow. Seriously, thank you all for the amazing reviews last chapter. I really didn't know how well that chapter would go over seeing as it was rather heart-breaking but I'm so glad you guys enjoyed it – or not enjoyed it, per say but… you know what I mean.**

**I also apologize for following that chapter up with such a short, filler one that this one is. I couldn't combine it with the next chapter because it just seemed weird so I just decided to make it its own chapter. I know it's rather boring and definitely not my best, but know that it was needed.**

**Because of such a short chapter – I'll be adding the next one either Monday or Tuesday. So look out for that.**

**Again, thank you to all the reviewers. It really does mean a lot – I don't think I can stress that enough.**

**Wow, I talk a lot.**

**Read. Enjoy. And review – even for such a pathetic chapter as this one is.**

**Thanks.**

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Seth woke up to an aching back and the sounds of the water running in the shower. He almost immediately got up to go surprise Summer in the shower like nearly every morning and then he remembered the night before and the reason why he had his aching back.

Summer and him had had the worst fight in their adult relationship and he had slept out on the couch.

And he hadn't finished the assignment his boss had trusted him with the night before.

Seth fell backwards onto the couch again and threw his arm over his forehead as he closed his eyes tightly. "Fuck."

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Summer stepped out of the shower, wrapping the towel around her wet body. Walking back into the bedroom, she quickly glanced down the hallway to see if Seth was still on the couch. As she was checking, she opened the bedroom door and turned, surprised to see Seth, clad in a blue dress shirt and boxers, reaching in the dresser for some pants.

"Looking for me?" Seth smiled warmly.

"I didn't know you were in here," Summer answered blankly, moving towards the closet for her own clothes.

"Well, I wasn't going to go to work in nighttime attire," Seth tried to joke putting on his pants, "I don't think the boss would take me too seriously."

Seth walked over towards Summer, thinking of trying to wrap his arms around her waist, but Summer moved towards the bathroom once again, her clothes in hand.

Seth raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going?"

"To change."

"And you need to do that in bathroom?"

"Seth, can we just, like, not do this now?" Summer walked into the bathroom, closing the door.

Seth wasn't having it. He didn't want to be worrying about Summer and their relationship all day when he had work that definitely needed to be done, so he was going to clear this all up now, shouting through the bathroom door. "No, let's do it now. Last night, we were both tired and that need for sleep kind of took over our rational thoughts and what happened shouldn't have happened."

Summer didn't respond so Seth continued, "Whatever I did to make you upset, I didn't mean to do. And I'm sorry. I am really, truly sorry because the last thing I would ever want to do is make you cry. It's just… God, Summer? Can you open the door now?"

Summer opened the door, fully clothed, with a hairdryer in her hands, "I have to blow dry my hair." She held up the hairdryer as if to further explain her statement.

"That can wait till later."

"No, it can't. I have to be at work in a half an hour."

"This is important."

"So is my hair."

Seth was getting aggravated again. "Summer, I'm trying to talk about our relationship so we can get past all this fighting and arguing and you want to focus on your hair?"

"I really can't do this right now." Summer began to shut the door but Seth put his hand out to stop the door from fully closing.

"Then when?"

"I don't know. Later."

"Later isn't good enough. I want an exact time."

Summer rolled her eyes. "Seth, you're being ridiculous."

"Give me a time and I'll stop."

"After work."

"We're going out to dinner with Ryan and Lana."

"Then after dinner with Ryan and Lana."

"Right after?"

"Right after," Summer sighed. "Can I dry my hair now?"

Seth scoffed and let his arm fall from the door, "Fine." He walked back into the bedroom to finish getting ready for the day. After a few minutes of grumbling, he decided to try to think of a decent excuse for the reason why he only had two pages of information for his boss, all while the sound of the hair dryer flooded the apartment and his nagging thoughts.

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Summer walked out towards the door, noticing Seth sitting on the couch eating a bowl of Captain Crunch. "So what time is dinner tonight?"

Seth thought for a minute, shocked by Summer's willingness to talk – even if it was asking what time dinner was – and then wondering to himself what time their dinner reservations with Ryan and Lana were. "Umm… I don't know. I'll call Ryan during lunch."

"Okay… well where are we having dinner?"

Seth scrunched up his face. "I don't know that either."

Summer sighed and turned the front door's doorknob. "Well, call and leave me a message when you find out."

Seth saw her walking out and knew he didn't want them to leave for the day like this. Especially since this was such a big day for him – getting an actual chance to do something important for the firm – so he jumped up, almost spilling the remainder of the milk in his bowl, and in three short leaps landed at Summer's side.

Summer, not noticing Seth's quick course of action, was shocked when Seth's arms encircled her waist, his breath hot on her ear.

"Have a good day at work," Seth smiled into her neck as he kissed it.

Summer nodded, unable to say anything back, and opened the door, "Bye."

"Summer…" Seth whined.

"Not now," Summer replied firmly.

Seth sadly nodded his head and shut the door for her.

In Summer's mind, the best way to deal with this was to not deal with it at all.

But she still couldn't help but hope Seth would forgo listening to her spoken wishes and see that all she really wanted was for him to chase after her as she walked out of the apartment building.

She turned around slightly at the bottom of the apartment building to sneak a peek over her shoulder and look up the stairs, hoping to see Seth bounding out of their apartment, running down the stairs, calling her name.

Summer's unvoiced hopes were met with silence.

Seth wasn't bounding down the stairs after her.


	7. The Lunch Time Chats

**Disclaimer: Still no ownership on my part. It's unfortunate, I know.**

**A/N: First off – thank you to the people who reviewed my last, short, pathetic chapter. Fillers are never that great and I appreciate the people who still decided to review.**

**Secondly, I want to put this out there – up until (I think) the 15th chapter, everything's that's happened and anything coming up will occur over a period of 5 days. This story started on a Wednesday afternoon and the majority of the plot will end on a Sunday night. That doesn't mean the story will end right there – it's just I want you all to understand why everything seems like it's moving at a snail's pace. Problems like this in real life aren't solved in 5 days and neither are they in my story.**

**And with that I give you my 7th chapter – have fun reading. And as I ask always – please review.**

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One ring. Two rings. Three rings. "Damnit, Ryan. Where are you?" Seth muttered as the fourth ring took over. Fifth ring. Suddenly a voice came over the phone.

"Hey -"

"Hey, Ryan, listen -"

" - It's Ryan. I'm not here right now but if you leave a message and a number I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks."

Fucking voicemail.

Beep. "Hey Ryan, it's Seth. I need to talk to you. Personal stuff. Also, we still on for dinner tonight? Where is it and what time? I need to let Summer know so call me when you get this. Bye."

Seth put his phone back down on his desk, sighing. The morning had not gone over too well. Between whatever it was that was going on with Summer and having to come up with a lousy excuse for his boss, his Friday was anything but triumphant. His boss, Mr. Gavey, thankfully had decided to take pity on him, but only this once stating that people are not given favors in this business. Regardless of the "favor," Seth still had to spend the entire weekend collecting more documents and research in order to be fully prepared for his rescheduled meeting with Mr. Gavey on Monday. And Mr. Gavey made it completely clear that if Seth wasn't fully prepared, he'd have no choice but to release him from the case and back to his original duties.

And there was no way Seth was getting anymore coffee orders from balding men with tinted yellow teeth.

Yet, he couldn't exactly push this whole Summer issue aside. He never understood why Summer had to act this way when he had so much on his plate. It's like she chose the time that was most inconvenient for Seth to decide to freak out on him. Didn't she realize he didn't have time to play the "guess-what's-going-on-in-my-mind" game when he had such an amazing opportunity that required almost all of his waking hours? He wasn't trying to ignore her, neither was he attempting to attract other girls – much to her allegations; he was just trying to get his work done so he'd have something impressive to put on his resume. And if his resume looked as impressive as he hoped it would by the end of his college career, he could easily get a very decent starting pay job, therefore being able to buy a house for both he and Summer right out of college, thus pleasing Summer.

In fact, this whole internship was essentially for her because all he thought about was his future with Summer. He wanted to make her happy and didn't want her to ever have to worry about anything. He wanted her to have it all. Anything she ever wanted, he wanted to be able to give to her.

How could she not see that everything he was doing in his life was for her and their future together?

Seth noticed the time and saw that his lunch hour had at last arrived. He picked up his keys and phone, sliding them into his pants pocket and picked up his briefcase.

"Hey! Seth!"

Seth whirled around to the woman's voice. "Hi, Sarah." Sarah was around his age, maybe a year or two older – he didn't know – with shoulder length dirty blonde hair with green eyes. She worked in the filing department as a full-time employee. He knew she was a student at the University of Southern California and her personality seemed much like the girl-next-door type, but beyond that he didn't know anything about her.

"You going to lunch?"

Seth nodded his head solemnly.

"What's going on?" Sarah questioned. "You seem like you just found out your grandma died or something." Sarah laughed as Seth sent her a sideways glance. "Oh God, your grandma didn't die, did she?"

Seth smiled and shook his head. "No, no. I'm just having a rough day. How are you?"

Sarah returned the smile. "I'm good. I'm heading to lunch. You wanna grab something down at the Café around the corner? You can lay all your shit on me, seeing as I'm not looking half as depressed as you are." Seth glared again. "Right. Sorry. Café?"

"Sounds good. I've been dying for a lobster roll lately, anyway."

They walked out of the building and turned the corner towards the Café as Seth began his over-elaborate story of the past few days. If Ryan wasn't around to talk to, and Summer was refusing to open up, Seth looked to any other willing ear to listen to his incessant ramblings of his life. Sarah seemed nice, not hanging on his every word as many other women had been lately, and it was good to finally let it out.

What was not so good was that at the same time Seth and Sarah were turning the corner, Summer had appeared across the street, trying to make it to Seth's firm before he left so they could talk their issues through on their lunch hour. She had called his cell but he hadn't picked up, so she was walking at an extremely fast pace to catch him. Because as much as the fighting had been bothering Seth, it was starting to bother her ten times worse, making her stomach nauseous and her head spin.

After seeing Seth and Sarah walk into the Café, both smiling, Summer turned on her heels and began her trek back to her own office.

At any other time, Summer would have stomped right over there, staked her claim on Seth, and made sure he had lunch with her and not some other wannabe bimbo. But this time it was different. Because she and Seth weren't getting along lately. And she wasn't sure if Seth was still in love with her.

_"Maybe it's about time to realize you've taken it as far as you two can go and that you both should just move on with the rest of your lives. Separately."_

As Bethany's voice still rung loudly in her head, she picked up her pace; nearly running in her heels, back into the subway station, wiping away the tears that had now ruined her mascara and were spilling down her cheeks.

She couldn't stand by and watch while her boyfriend moved on without her.

-----------------------------------------

So it turned out that this Sarah chick was pretty cool. By the end of the lunch hour, Seth had not only spilled his guts and gotten, well… pretty fantastic feedback, but he learned her last name was Kennedy, she was originally from Atlanta, was also pursuing a degree in law, and had a long-term boyfriend of about two years living in San Francisco.

"That was a good lunch, Seth. We'll have to do it again when you and Summer are on better terms," Sarah said walking in the firm's doors in front of Seth.

"Why's that?" Seth asked, holding the door for her.

"Because then I might actually learn something about you besides the fact that you're in love with Summer Roberts and have been since forever. Not that that's not interesting – and I'm certainly glad to have been able to help you out – but I don't know anything about you. Besides the fact that you obviously like law or you wouldn't have stuck around this long being a coffee boy."

Seth grinned. "Hopefully it will be cleared up tonight. So lunch Monday? I'll let you in on the real life Seth Cohen. He's a pretty fascinating guy. Awfully charming too. I hear all the girls _swooning_ as he passes by."

Sarah laughed whole-heartedly. "I'm sure they do. I'll talk to you later, Seth." Sarah walked off as Seth settled into his desk, suddenly hearing a beeping noise coming from his pants pocket. Seth took out his phone and noticed three missed calls and two new voicemails. "How did that happen?"

He decided to just go with the voicemails first and listened as Ryan's voice came through.

"Hey, it's me. Tonight – Caballero's – 6. I know it's not our usual Thai but Lana has been really craving Italian lately. Anyway, as for your other questions, personal or not, can they wait until tonight? I've got so much work to do; it's a mess. I'll see you then."

Seth shrugged knowing he shouldn't always bother Ryan with his problems. He had made other friends at school that he could always go talk to but for some reason he didn't really feel comfortable talking to them about Summer.

Probably because they all thought she was hott and always teased Seth for "nailing" her, asking if they could just borrow her for a night.

Yeah, he didn't exactly want to go to them for relationship advice. Sure, they were half-joking but it was still a little uncomfortable.

The next voicemail was from his mom. "Hey sweetie, it's mom. I know you're probably at work – even though I thought maybe you'd be at lunch right now so you could answer your phone – anyway, your father and I were wondering if you could come home Sunday. You probably have lots of work and everything but we would really like for you to come. Summer is welcome, of course; we haven't seen her in ages. Anyway, it's important so if you could please make a few hours open in your busy schedule we'd appreciate it. I love you, honey. Miss you. See you Sunday!"

Well, that was a rather odd voicemail. Not only had his mother invited him to come home, but she also appeared to have thought she received a reply from his voicemailing system due to her last remark.

Guess he was going to Newport on Sunday. Yes, just what he needed. At least he knew in Newport there wouldn't be any distractions around to keep him from getting his immense amount of work done.

Seth checked the other missed call. It was from Summer. There was no voicemail so he decided to give her a call to let her know about tonight's plans. She answered on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sum, it's me. I talked to Ryan and -"

Summer cut him off, "I know. I called him a little while ago."

"Oh. Alright. Well, I saw you called. Did you want anything?"

"No. It was nothing," Summer waved her hand in the air, forgetting Seth couldn't see it. She decided not to tell Seth about her sudden trip to his office an hour earlier, figuring it would probably probe more questions than she wanted right now.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, positive. Listen, I won't be home after work tonight. I'm going to have to meet you guys at the restaurant."

"Why?" Seth questioned.

"Because. I have stuff to do."

"Summer…"

"Oh my God, Seth, give it up. I'll see you tonight. Bye."

Summer hung up without listening to his response and sighed loudly, getting an eyebrow raise from Chad, who was walking towards her desk.

"What's with all the sighing lately, girly?" Chad asked as Summer leaned her head back, resting it on the back of her chair.

"Seth and I aren't working anymore."

"Summy, we talked about this…"

Summer shook her head, which was still firmly placed on the back of her chair, "No, like, I really mean it. He can't even say he loves me anymore."

Chad smiled, "Well, if you're talking about right there then you have to admit you didn't really give him a chance to."

"No, not just now. But, like, ever."

"I thought you said he said it the other day and you freaked on him saying he always says that when he's in trouble."

"Well, he does!" Summer's head shot up. "He always says it when he knows I'm mad!"

Chad shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe that's why he's not saying it then. He doesn't want you to get mad."

"Oh my God! Whose side are you on!" Summer shouted as heads turned around the small office in her and Chad's direction. Chad grabbed Summer's arm, pulled her up, and walked her off into the closed-off hallway.

"Calm down. I'm just trying to point the stuff you might be missing. I don't want you to ruin your perfect relationship because of insecurities that you need to get over."

"But what Bethany said -"

Chad put his hand to her mouth. "Don't. Paris Hilton-wannabe was just trying to get a rise out of you. You know that. Why are you falling for her crap?"

"It's not crap," Summer shooed Chad's hand away. "I went over to try and have lunch with Cohen, you know, so we could try and talk things out, and I saw him walking off around the corner smiling with this other slut."

Chad stood with his arms crossed. "So now he can't even have friends of the opposite sex?"

"No! I mean, yes, he can, but that's not what I meant. I just don't think he's happy with me anymore. That he's just staying with me out of convenience." Summer's eyes began to water. "I don't want us to be that couple. I want him to love me."

Chad uncrossed his arms and wrapped them around Summer's shoulders as she cried. "Shhh… it will work out. Shhh, don't cry, Summy. I'm not good with tears."

Summer stifled a laugh and stood back. "Think I can go to your place after work for two hours? I told Seth I wasn't going home before we go to the restaurant with Ryan and Lana tonight. I told him I'd meet them there. Which, I _totally_ don't want to even go to because I look like crap now and because Ryan and Lana have suddenly become the mini-Kirsten and Sandy couple." Summer waved her hand through the air absentmindedly as she spoke.

"Umm, sure," Chad smiled hesitantly as he threw his arm over Summer's shoulders, walking them back to their office, "But, Summy?" Summer looked up at Chad through her remaining tears, "Who's Kirsten and Sandy?"

Summer laughed and hugged Chad from the side. It was nice to have someone around to talk to.


	8. The Cures for Anxiety

**Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own it.**

**A/N: I know you guys don't like me. I don't like myself either. It's just… this 'art imitates life' thing…? It's got me _hooked_.**

**He's another chapter. Love Seth/Ryan times and def. saw a need for one so, yeah. It should be fun.**

**Let me know what you think. Read. Enjoy. And as always – review please.**

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"So, listen," Seth spoke into his phone, "I really need you to meet me at the restaurant – or somewhere, I don't really care where – beforehand."

"Why?" Ryan questioned, balancing his own phone between his ear and his shoulder while he stifled through papers on his desk.

"Because I'm having major personal problems and I have no one else to go to about them. Well, I mean, I talked to some girl here at work about them but she doesn't really know me or know Summer -"

Ryan interrupted Seth, stopping his desk search, "Ah! I knew it was about Summer!"

"I never said it wasn't."

"I know. I'm just waiting for the time when you'll call about a problem that isn't Summer-related."

Seth sighed, "First off, as funny as you think you are, you're not. And secondly, all that waiting might pay off if you don't help me with my problem."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means Summer might not be around anymore for me to have problems to come to you about." Seth leaned back in his chair, covering his arm over his forehead.

"Summer won't be around? Seth, Summer's _always_ around when it comes to you. Even if she's not really, physically, around."

"You know what I mean!" Seth paused and sighed again into the phone. "I think Summer wants out."

"What do you mean? She wants to break up? Hold it," Ryan muffled his last statement to someone around his office and then returned the conversation back to Seth, "Hold on a second. I'm going into the bathroom so we can talk."

"No, I have to get work done. I really can't talk right now."

"Seth, when have you ever turned down the chance to talk about yourself?"

Seth hesitated for a moment before replying. "You're right. I'm going into the bathroom too. Hold on."

A few moments of silence passed and Ryan waited impatiently. "You in the bathroom?"

"Jeez, man, give me a sec," Seth muttered as he quickened his pace to the bathroom, "Shit, someone's in there already. Hold on, I gotta find somewhere else."

"I can't believe Summer wants to break up with you," Ryan said, realization of Seth's problem sinking in. "What's all that noise?"

"I had to go outside so it's the wonderful sounds of downtown LA in the mid-afternoon."

Ryan smiled to himself. "Ahh, those sounds."

"Right. Anyway. Back to me."

"Well, of course," Ryan joked. "Can't waste any time complimenting the city we live in."

Seth ignored his comment. "So Summer has gone into freak mode on me the past few weeks. And I thought I had her in a nice little place yesterday -"

Ryan interrupted, "What do you mean freak mode?"

"She was freaking out about all these girls coming on to me. Like we were at a bar, maybe two weeks ago, and three girls came up to me, trying to get my number, all in front of Summer. Oh, and there was a gay guy too but I don't think that Summer minded that cause she knows I would never take that route. Not that there's anything wrong with that at all it's just that we all know I'm a ladies kind of guy and that -"

"Seth."

"Right. Sorry. Anyway, there are all these girls -"

Ryan snorted.

"I'm not kidding!" Seth yelled into the phone. "I know you don't believe me but I'm being completely serious. It's crazy, man. And it's just not when Summer's around. It's everywhere. I don't even know what happened. I mean, dude, I'm definitely not trying to do it. They just come out of the woodwork like ants or something. And the girl who lives in the apartment next door to us? Remember her?"

"Yeah," Ryan replied. "That stick-figure blonde?"

"Yeah. Wednesday night, well, she kissed me. One minute she was touching my hand and the next she was kissing me!"

"Does Summer know?"

"Yeah, I told her. It was part of the game."

"What game?"

"The game I was telling you about! Ryan, buddy, stay with me here!"

Ryan rolled his eyes, "Sure. Game. Continue."

"See Summer was trying to make me jealous with this gay friend of hers – only I didn't know he was gay at the time -, saying she was going out for drinks with him, so I decided to tell her flat out about Bethany kissing me -"

"Who's Bethany?"

"Our next door neighbor! Ryan, if you're gonna help me out you need to keep up."

Ryan rolled his eyes again. "I know. Okay, sorry. So how did Summer take it?"

"She was shocked and she asked a few questions about it but she seemed fine when she came home later. And then, all of a sudden, when I was telling her about my new job assignment – which, by the way, is awesome. I get to go all out and research this company and try and put together an actual case! Okay, so it's not a case per say, but it's close!"

"To the point, Seth," Ryan groaned.

"Yeah, so as I'm telling Summer all this work I have to be doing she decides she wants to have sex or something so she starts kissing me -"

"Yeah, Seth," Ryan scrunched up his face in disgust, "I don't need details."

Seth ignored him, "But I stopped her because I'm getting really aggravated about how she can get all pissed at me, lie to me about gay friends, and then suddenly decide when she wants to have sex with me and I just have to ready and willing."

"Doesn't sound to me like Summer wants to break up with you if she wanted to have sex with you."

"I'm not done."

"Oh."

"So then we start yelling at each other – probably the worst fight we've had in years, Ryan. And then she starts crying and I've calmed down cause I hate seeing her cry and I'm trying to comfort her and she pushes me away. Then she finally just gave me this icy stare and told me not to touch her."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, so I figured I'd stay on the couch and just let her stay in our bedroom – which – we've haven't done in, like, _forever_," Seth exaggerated. "And then in the morning she refused to talk about our relationship and when I called her this afternoon she got all pissed and told me to give it up and she hung up. Now she's not answering any of my calls. I think we're over."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Seth asked shocked. "That's it?"

"I don't think she wants to break up with you. She's just mad."

"Yeah, I think I've figured out that much. Thanks for that though," Seth answered sarcastically.

"I mean, you should probably just talk to her. Before dinner clear it up."

"She said she's not coming home before dinner. She told me she's gonna meet us there."

"Well, go pick her up from work," Ryan suggested.

"She's already out of work. It's," Seth checked his watch, "4:15."

"Alright, well, I still have 45 minutes and lots to do so I have to go. Just talk to her, man. I bet everything can be sorted out if you just sit your asses down and explain yourselves."

"You're not really good at giving advice, are you?"

"What?"

"I know I need to talk to her. I wanted you to tell me what to say to make her not want to break up with me."

Ryan sighed again. "You'll work it out. I'll see you tonight, Seth."

"Yeah, if I'm not completely suicidal over my break up with Summer, I'll be there," Seth tried to guilt him.

"Bye, Seth." Ryan groaned and hung up the phone.

Ryan looked up to the mirror and ran his hand through his hair.

Talking to Seth was exhausting.

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"Summy, you look great. Doesn't she look great, Stephen?"

Stephen nodded his head enthusiastically, standing next to his boyfriend, Chad. "You sure do! You look very yummy. If I weren't already madly in love, I'd do you."

"You guys!" Summer squealed. "You know, I really shouldn't have gone out to buy another dress. Seth'll kill me."

"I wouldn't worry about that. Seth will be too busy trying to figure out which way is the quickest to get you out of the dress so he can ravish you," Chad clapped his hands together.

Summer blushed, "Well, I guess I like that plan too." Summer stood and admired herself in front of Chad's full-length mirror. The dress was rather simple with golden tints throughout the full red color. It was strapless and spread out near at the bottom, which ended just below her knees. Her hair, Summer had decided, was important enough to the ensemble to go to the hairdressers for and along with that, they were able to retouch her make up as well. Her hair was slightly curled, with bit of it held up on top of her head by bobby pins. Summer swirled around on her four-inch black open-toed heels and admired herself.

She sure did clean up very nicely. Especially when she had her emergency only credit card on her.

So what if other people didn't claim this was an emergency. She did. She needed to find out in some way if Seth still loved her – if he was still happy with her.

And if she had to use her sex appeal to do it – so be it. Because she needed to know. And what Summer needed, Summer always got.

"What time do you have to be there?" Stephen asked snapping Summer out of her thoughts.

"Six. What time is it?"

"5:59."

"Shit!" Summer swore as she gathered her purse and grabbed her cell phone. Summer flipped it open and pressed Ryan's number, running as fast as the heels would allow her, outside to wave down a taxi cab. "Thanks guys!" She waved with the hand holding her purse as the other held the phone to her ear, "I owe you guys big!" Both Chad and Stephen waved back.

"Hello?" Ryan voice answered the phone.

"Ryan! Hi! It's Summer. I'm going to be a bit late. I'm trying to get a cab right now."

"Umm," Ryan stuttered looking back and forth between his girlfriend and his brother, "Alright. How long?"

"Like, fifteen minutes. See you soon! Love you!" Summer snapped her phone shut and Ryan did the same.

"Summer called you?" Seth asked incredulously, hearing Summer's voice perfectly clear through Ryan's phone and then checking his phone for any missed calls. "Why the hell didn't she call me?"

"Seth, it's no big deal. It was probably the first number that came up," Ryan tried to reassure him.

Seth replied sharply, "Yes, because somehow speed dial number five comes up before speed dial number one."

Ryan face lit up. "I'm speed dial number five? Wow, that a pretty big compliment coming from Summer." Seth glared at him. "You know, man, the glare doesn't work as well for you as it does for me."

Seth shrugged as Lana threw an arm over Seth's shoulders, comforting him, "I'm really sure it didn't mean anything."

Seth grunted, adding sadly, "I'm really sure it did." Ryan opened his mouth and was about to say something again when Seth continued, "How about we just go inside. Summer can find us in there. I need a drink."

"Seth, you're not legal."

"Well, I've got a fake ID that proves otherwise and a heart that's breaking so I don't really care."

"Way to be a drama queen," Ryan snorted and patted Seth on the back, "Come on buddy, let's go get you _one_ whiskey." Lana grabbed Ryan's hand as all three of them made their way into the restaurant.


	9. The Most Anticipated Night

**Disclaimer: Yeah, owning The OC is still a negative on my part.**

**A/N: I wasn't going to put this up tonight but you're in luck. I had an extra hour & here you have it.**

**Alright, so, I'm back at school full-time now so updates won't be as frequent as they have been. I apologize sincerely ahead of time but I also want you to know I promise I will not abandon this fic. I'm way too into this to ever do that. ;)**

**Also, some things in here are the tiniest bit graphic. If you can't handle it, I suggest not reading it. Or at least not the end bit.**

**And, some people may not agree with my ending. Saying it's out of character or something that would never happen or whatever. But before you bombard me with hate reviews, let me just say this: Suspension of Disbelief. Don't know it? Look it up. Learn it. Use it.**

**Thanks & have fun reading and as always, review.**

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Summer strolled into Caballero's at 6:52pm. Turns out traffic in LA on a Friday night is a mess. Maybe she should have considered taking the subway instead. 'And ruin my perfect outfit?' Summer thought, 'Yeah, right.'

"Atwood. Party of four," Summer told the host as he eyed her up and down. Summer couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks; she knew she looked sexy and fabulous. She was glad other people were noticing it too.

"Right this way, miss."

Summer arrived at the table to two stunning looks coming from Ryan and Lana.

And no Seth in sight.

"Summer, you look gorgeous!" Lana stood up, throwing her arms around Summer in a hug and then standing back at arm's length to admire her again. "How do you do it?"

Summer smiled innocently, only shrugging her shoulders in reply, and then switched her gaze towards Ryan, "Hey, Ryan."

"Hey Summer. You really do look beautiful."

"Thanks," Summer blushed and then looked around the table, acting like she hadn't noticed her boyfriend's missing appearance from the second she arrived. "Where's Cohen?"

"Umm," Ryan stuttered looking over at his girlfriend for help, "Ahh, well…"

Lana spoke up, "Seth needed a little relaxer."

"Relaxer?" Summer asked as she sat down at the table. "What exactly does that mean?"

"Well, do you remember that ID he bought back in Rhode Island that was so exciting to talk about but decided never to use it?"

Summer nodded in response to Ryan's question, "Yeah, what about it?"

"Turns out he carries it around waiting to use it at the most inopportune time," Ryan finished as he pointed towards the bar where Seth was sitting, holding a glass of whiskey in one hand and used the other to talk animatedly to the blonde he was striking conversation with. All while the blonde smiled and laughed, occasionally putting a flirtatious hand on Seth's thigh, and Seth not reacting to her hand's movement upward ever so slightly.

"You know how it goes straight to his head," Ryan laughed nervously, anticipating a rage blackout from Summer at any time now.

Summer's head turned back to Ryan and Lana, who both wore guilty faces, and Summer had to do a double take in Seth's direction to make sure this was actually happening. Summer was slowly realizing she had gotten this dressed up and spent a few hundred dollars on a night when Seth would flirt with other girls and then not even remember Summer's appearance at dinner the morning after due his alcohol consumption.

"You've got to be kidding me," Summer mumbled to herself, still staring at Seth. She swung her head back around to Ryan and Lana. "You let him do this!"

"We didn't think one drink would hurt him," Ryan replied.

"And then one drink turned into four and that's the result," Lana nodded her head towards Seth.

Summer rested her elbows on the table and used her hands to cradle her forehead and cover her eyes, "I can't _believe_ this. I get all dressed up for that fucking ass and he's over there getting Goddamn drunk and flirting with any skank he can get."

Ryan decidedly intervened in Summer's mumblings, "You know, he did this because of you."

"Oh, well, that's comforting, Ryan. Thank you," Summer looked up at Ryan replying bitterly.

Lana tried to speak for her boyfriend instead – she had gotten to know Summer enough to know that her rage blackouts were definitely not something that should be showcased in a fancy restaurant -, "No, what he means is Seth's worried about your relationship. He's drinking right now because he thinks you want to break up with him."

"He doesn't know what he wants," Summer sighed.

"What?"

"He's the one who wants to break up with me."

"Are you crazy? Summer, he's been in love with you for how long again?" Ryan asked rhetorically.

"Things like that don't always last! And look at him! He's clearly perfectly fine flirting with hundreds of other girls and can't even tell me he loves me!"

Ryan's voice softened as he sighed, "He loves you, Summer."

Summer inhaled deeply. "Whatever. I'm leaving. I'm not really hungry, anyway." Summer turned around, and despite the protests coming from Lana, she continued her respectable strut out of the restaurant.

Seth stumbled back to the table almost immediately after Summer walked out. "Look at this, Ryan! Another number! Three in one night! Bet you never did that, buddy!"

Ryan groaned, "Nope. Nope, I didn't, Seth."

Seth beamed to himself and fell into his chair, "Summer isn't here yet?"

"She was here," Lana began, "But she just left. Like a minute ago."

Seth's eyes budged out of his head, "Why'd she leave? I didn't even get to see her."

"She saw you over there getting numbers. God, Seth, and you're wondering why your relationship is going down the tubes," Ryan raised his voice. "You need to try and pay more attention to your girlfriend than all the other millions of girls in the world!"

"I do! I am!" Seth tried to argue back but his approaching drunken state of mind held him back.

"She doesn't think you love her anymore, Seth!" Ryan yelled, causing people throughout the restaurant to turn their heads in their direction to see what the commotion was.

"I do! I do! Jesus," Seth yelled back, oblivious to the growing crowd listening in on their table's conversation, "I need to stop her!" Seth ran out of the restaurant, almost tumbling over three tables, searching for Summer.

"You think we should follow him?" Lana asked Ryan.

Ryan shook his head, breathing deeply to calm himself again. "Nah, it's a Friday night. I'm almost positive Summer hasn't gotten a cab yet. We'll just try and have a decent meal while they fight it out outside. Seth needs to explain himself and Summer needs to listen. It's what's best for them."

Lana smiled and kissed Ryan's cheek, "You're such a good friend."

"Yeah? What about boyfriend?"

"Oh, you've had that one down for awhile now," Lana smiled as she leaned in to kiss Ryan's lips.

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"Summer!" Seth shouted as soon as he got out of the restaurant. "Summer!"

"What are you _doing_?" Summer shouted back at Seth as he wailed back and forth on the curb searching for her.

"Summer!" Seth ran over to her, where she was sitting on a bench next to the restaurant. "Summer, I thought you left."

"I was going to but it's impossible to get cabs in this Goddamn city."

Summer sat there with her legs crossed and her arms folded across her chest and Seth stood still, admiring her. "You look fucking beautiful."

Summer looked up at him, noticing the glazed look in his eyes that she suddenly realized wasn't as a result of him staring at her, but rather of the amount of alcohol he had consumed in that one short hour. "Seth," Summer looked away, down at the ground, "I don't want to do this out here."

"No!" Seth exclaimed as he dropped down to his knees, taking his hands to force Summer to look at him. "You said after dinner. It's after dinner. Or actually we didn't have dinner but I think we're skipping it so that counts as after dinner. Anyway, Summer, I want to talk about us."

Summer shook her head in his hands, closing her eyes, wishing that she was anywhere than downtown LA, breaking down in front of Seth.

"Summer, I know I'm not completely coherent right now but everything I'm about to say is the God's honest truth."

Summer still refused to open her eyes but stopped shaking her head.

"I love you. So much. And I don't know where the hell you got the idea from that I didn't but I do. I always have. I thought you knew that."

Summer opened her eyes and saw Seth's eyes were glassy – this time not as a result of the alcohol but rather of the tears that were building up in his lids.

"I just want you to be happy," Summer managed to mumble out of her mouth.

"I _am_ happy. Summer, you make me all these different fucking emotions but happy is by far the one you make me most. Even when we're fighting. Just knowing we'll figure it out makes me happy."

Summer took Seth's hands off of her face and put them in her lap, "I'm not who you want anymore."

Seth ripped his hands out of her lap and stood up, "Are you crazy? Where the hell do you get these ridiculous ideas?"

Summer stood up and walked towards the curb without answering Seth.

"Don't leave me," Seth pleaded with her. "I _need_ you."

Much more quickly than her first attempt, a free cab came up to the restaurant and Summer got in, trying to wipe away her tears. Seth jumped into the cab next to Summer, just as she was telling the cab driver where to go. "Seth, no."

"Where are you going to, sir?" the cab driver asked.

"Same place. I live with her." Seth turned to look at Summer's bewildered face. "I _love_ her."

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Thankfully the ride back wasn't as long – only fifteen minutes at maximum – and the entire ride was spent with Seth repeating the same sentiments over and over continuously. Summer couldn't handle Seth drunk and with her hormones being over-emotional lately, all she wanted to do was crawl into bed, forget everything that was happening, and sleep forever.

Unfortunately, as soon as they both entered their apartment, Seth showed that he had other plans.

"Summer, I don't want you go to sleep right now. I want to talk to you. I don't want you to hate me."

"Cohen," Summer sighed, "I don't hate you."

"You called me Cohen," Seth beamed.

Summer nodded her head confused. "Yeah, what else would I call you?"

At this, Seth couldn't resist his racing thoughts any longer. He threw his arms around Summer's waist, pulling her into him, crashing his lips upon hers. It only took a moment before Summer reacted, kissing him back, throwing her own arms around his neck and threading her fingers through his curly brown hair. Seth picked her up in his arms, and without breaking their heated and lustful kiss, began carrying her into the bedroom, ridding his jacket in the process. Summer, suddenly realizing what was happening, pulled her lips away from Seth's.

"Cohen, we can't."

Seth tripped ungracefully onto the bed on top of Summer, leaving a trail of kisses on her neck instead, "We have countless times before."

Summer pushed him off of her and rolled onto the other side of the bed, sitting up. "No, Seth, I mean it."

Seth groaned and threw his arm over his forehead. "Stop calling me Seth."

"That's your name," Summer replied pointedly.

Seth sat up abruptly, making direct eye contact with Summer, "Listen to me. I hate when you call me Seth. Yeah, it's my name but it has no meaning when you say it. It's like I'm just any other guy. And I'm not. I'm Cohen. _Your_ Cohen. Your Cohen who wants to marry you. See, I think you should know that. I want to marry you. I want to see you walk down the aisle smiling at me, not noticing the hundreds of other people you will inevitably invite to our wedding because deep down, and no matter how much you deny it, you're a Newpsie at heart. I want to see you pregnant and glowing, beaming that grin you only save for the rarest occasions when you're so ridiculously happy when we go in for our first ultrasound and hear the baby's heartbeat – the baby _we_ created. And I want to have little Jewish fro and rage black-out prone babies running all over our future white-picket fenced backyard with puppies and kittens chasing each other in the grass. I want to see you grow old but still not show any signs of aging because no matter how old you'll ever get, every time I look at you I fall more in love with you and realize you're the most beautiful being on the planet and that I'm the luckiest guy to have ever been able to love you. And most of all," Seth paused to take a breath as he saw Summer's eyes and cheeks glistening in the moonlight due to her tears, "I just really want to take that overly expensive dress off of you so I can touch and kiss every part of your skin to show you that I mean everything I just said. So _please_ Summer, let me kiss you."

Seth pushed Summer gently back down on the bed and he captured her lips as Summer felt her heart melting. Everything Seth had just said was everything she had been wishing was true.

As Seth and Summer's kiss heated into a full-on make-out session, clothes were soon being discarded and Seth's breath was hot on her ear.

"Let me make love to you."

At this, Summer spilled over the edge as she reached for Seth's face and joined her lips with his once again.

Even if Summer still wasn't sure that the alcohol was doing all of Seth's talking or if he was just proclaiming words of love because his hormones were already in full swing, Summer didn't care. Because she wanted to be with him.

Sure, Seth had said all those impossibly cheesy declarations of love to her, but did he really mean them? All the girls constantly around, Seth letting them kiss him and touch him – Summer couldn't get them, or their words, out of her head.

Even if Seth wanted out of the relationship that he felt so convenienced into, Summer wanted him to make love to her one last time before she let him have everything he had just said with someone else that wasn't her.

_"Maybe it's about time to realize you've taken it as far as you two can go and that you both should just move on with the rest of your lives. Separately."_

She knew Bethany's words were right. She knew deep down that's what he wanted. Whether it be with Bethany or that girl that she saw him going to lunch with or the girl he met at the bar tonight.

He wanted something else. _Someone_ else.

And even if he didn't know it yet, she knew she had to let him go before they both hurt each other.

_"I didn't mean to hurt you, Summer."_

Summer ignored the voices in her head as Seth thrust into her. Because she wanted this – one last time.

_Seth was sitting, holding a glass of whiskey in one hand and used the other to talk animatedly to the blonde he was striking conversation with. All while the blonde smiled and laughed, occasionally putting a flirtatious hand on Seth's thigh, and Seth not reacting to her hand's movement upward ever so slightly._

Summer shooed away her thoughts and visions of Seth and the girl at the bar earlier that night and brought her arms to wrap around his neck, bringing him impossibly closer, trying to memorize every contour of his body as he continued thrusting into her, bringing each of them closer to their climax.

"I love you, Sum."

"I love you too."

It was in that instant she decided she would leave him in the morning.


	10. The Life Alteration

**Disclaimer: Still no.**

**A/N: Well, well, I guess that last chapter was a tad touchy with people, eh? Good that's how I wanted it to be. ;) And also, I'm really not gonna explain myself for people who hated it – it will all make sense in the end and I truly believe it was both needed & necessary and that's all I have to say on the subject. And for people who loved it & found themselves crying – honestly, that's really amazing to hear. It's amazing to read a review from someone who said they were near the verge of tears or were actually crying at the end. That's just… yeahhh…. That's just amazing.**

**Anyway – thank you to ALL the reviewers and here's another chapter! **

**Oh, & I wrote a two-parter story last week called "Accepting Fate." If you haven't checked it out yet, go do so & then tell me what you think!**

**But back to this - read, enjoy, & review!**

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Summer woke up the next morning with familiar arms wrapped around her sheet-covered waist and a heavy head weighing down on her sheet-covered chest.

Seth gently stirred, slowly waking up, and squinted up at Summer, "Hey."

Summer smiled sadly, "Hi."

Seth reached his hand up, caressing her face as if he were memorizing her freckles and smooth skin, and then he slowly brought his face up to hers, capturing her lips in a sensual kiss.

Summer tried to pull away but she couldn't do it. She was so emotionally attached to Seth that she didn't think she could ever will herself away from his protective, lanky build, but at the same time she knew she needed to do it.

She was so sure he needed to truly find out what else was out there. And she believed he couldn't do it when all he'd ever known was lying underneath him.

Seth pulled away abruptly, beaming ear-to-ear, "So, I know I should have mentioned this earlier but -" Seth's face scrunched up as he paused, "Wait, I think I have a headache coming on. I'm gonna go get some aspirin and I'll be right back."

Seth jumped over Summer, grabbing his boxers from the foot of the bed, bounding swiftly into the bathroom across the hall as he stumbled into them.

Summer sat up and leaned her head back on the bed frame, sighing heavily and closing her eyes. "What the _hell_ am I doing?" She doubted herself. She couldn't figure out if she doubted her actions from the previous night or her actions she was planning to take this morning. All she knew was that she was having doubts.

And that clearly meant that something was wrong.

She had never thought – not since her early high school years anyway – that she and Seth were meant to be her, Summer Roberts, and him, Seth Cohen – separate individuals. Moving to Rhode Island to keep their relationship together sans-long distance was intended to show everyone that they were not just some high school sweethearts too afraid to let go. Moving into an apartment in downtown LA for four long summer months was meant to solidify this point.

But somehow, somewhere down the line, while they found themselves convincing everyone else of their true love, Summer found herself doubting it.

Seth bounded back into the bedroom, resuming his place on the bed, this time with his legs resting on each side of Summer's waist. Summer winced inwardly and stopped Seth's lips from reaching her own, knowing that if he reached his journey, Summer would not be able to stop him. Or, she feared, herself.

"Doesn't your head hurt?" Summer put her arms on his broad shoulders, keeping him at distance.

"No. Not really. Headaches from hangovers don't really faze me anymore," Seth answered.

"Yeah," Summer chuckled sarcastically, but void of emotion, "I almost believe that."

"You know," Seth smiled lovingly at Summer, "You really are fucking beautiful. I think, instead of writing articles in those magazines you should be posing for the photographs that appear in the magazines. Nude. Okay, not nude really," Seth backtracked himself after he received Summer's glare. "But you can at least try it out by posing nude now. I'll take _excellent_ photographs with my eyes to store in my memory," Seth finished flirtatiously.

Seth tried to move the sheet that was wrapped around Summer's body so he could kiss her shoulders, but Summer tugged it back up. "What did you want to tell me earlier before you went to go get aspirin?"

"Oh," Seth straightened up, "My mom called yesterday and invited me – well, actually us – to come to Newport tomorrow. And judging by the end of the voicemail, she must have heard a response from my messaging system because she ended the message by saying that she'd see me on Sunday. But it's all right, I figure I can probably get a lot of work done there as opposed to here and I'm kind of interested to see what they have to say. It sounded kind of important. I should ask Ryan if he's heard anything from them," Seth rolled off of Summer and reached over to his nightstand to grab his pants that were slung over the lamp – clearly landing there as a result of the previous night's attempt at ridding clothes in an untimely fashion – and dug in one of the pockets for his phone.

As Seth began to search for Ryan's number through his contact list, Summer spoke up, "Actually, I don't think I can go."

"What? Why?" Seth looked up from his phone. "I swear I won't distract you. I have a lot of work to do on my own. And you don't have to go back to your house. You don't even have to tell your dad or Julie that you're coming."

"That's not it," Summer replied and Seth raised his eyebrows in question. "I mean, you have a lot of work to get done. It would be better if I just stay in LA."

"You're the one who's gonna make me sit down and work," Seth smirked, pressing the 'Send' button and holding the phone up to his ear. "You're my disciplinarian."

Summer closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the bed frame once again. "Seth, I'm not going."

Seth opened his mouth to reply to Summer, but Ryan's voice came over the phone, "Hey, man."

"Hi," Seth replied absentmindedly, still staring at Summer who was refusing to look back at him and was now getting out of the bed, wrapping the sheet around her, trying to get clothes from the closet. "Can, I, ah… can I call you back?"

"But you called me."

"I know. Umm… I'll call you back. Bye." Seth hung up the phone and stood up from the bed, walking over to Summer and wrapping his arms around her still sheet-clad body. "I want you to come, Summer."

Summer turned around, grasping her clothes, "I'm not going to Newport with you."

Seth sighed. "Look, I know you hate going back there but, honestly, it's just one day and you won't even have pass by your house if you don't want to."

"It's not about my house. And if it is just one day, why can't you go by yourself?" Summer dropped the sheet and began changing in front of him.

"I, umm… I, uh, can. I just, umm," Seth stuttered and flung his hand over his eyes. "Can you not get changed right in front of me when I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you? It makes me pretty incapable of putting together coherent sentences." Seth smiled, his hand still over his eyes.

"You've seen me plenty before."

"And that still doesn't change the fact that you've got the most perfect body in the history of perfect bodies."

At this, Summer snapped. He couldn't continue saying beyond adorable things to her when she was trying to break up with him. "Oh my God, stop it!"

Seth stopped smiling and both his hand and his jaw dropped simultaneously. By now Summer was fully clothed but her face was etched in anger.

"Just… Jesus… You need to stop it."

"Okay," Seth replied quietly, still gathering himself from Summer's outburst. "Okay."

"I'm not going to Newport, okay? And it's not because of Julie or my dad or about how everything reminds me of Marissa. It's about me. And I'm not going."

"Umm," Seth still held his quiet voice. "Is there any particular reason?"

"Because I can't. I don't want to."

"All right," Seth inhaled deeply, still very confused. "That's a, umm, reasonable excuse… ah, I guess."

Summer sighed heavily and took one look at Seth's confused face and then closed her eyes and held her hand up to her forehead. "I'm leaving."

"Ah, umm… you're what now?" Seth stood in shock.

"I'm leaving. I don't think I should be here right now," Summer paused. "I think we need a break."

This time Seth couldn't muster up any type of response. He stood there, powerless in front of the only woman he'd ever loved, feeling like he was in a daze where people were just staring at him, laughing, all while throwing darts towards him – with his heart as the bright, red target.

"I just think it's for the best right now. We need some time apart."

"Time apart?" Seth mumbled as he slid onto the floor. "You're breaking up with me?"

Summer saw him breaking and felt her demeanor breaking along with him, trying to keep her tears that were overflowing her entire body from spilling over onto her cheeks.

"Seth, it's what you need right now."

At this, Seth began shaking his head sternly. He jolted from his daze and realized he had to prove to Summer how completely wrong she was. How he could not live without her and how he _definitely_ did not _need_ any of this.

Seth stood up, pacing the room, picking up pieces of random clothing. "You don't know what I need, Summer. You can't make decisions for me. And I say you're staying here with me, we're going to Newport together tomorrow, and we are most certainly _not_ breaking up."

Summer's tears began to tumble down her face. "No, Seth."

Seth shook his head fiercely, rummaging through the dresser, pulling out clothes and stumbling into them, still refusing to acknowledge Summer's proclamations.

"Please, stop for a second," Summer tried to get a grip on Seth's arm, but finding herself reaching blindly through the room because her tears were blurring her vision.

"Nope. No. I have work I have to do. You… you, have to get ready. Hey, how about we go on a date tonight? Me, you, movies? Yeah, we'll do that later tonight."

"Seth," Summer pleaded, falling onto the bed, finding herself too weak to stand, "I'm not going with you. I'm _leaving_."

"No. No." Seth furiously burrowed through his dresser looking nothing and anything at the same time. Anything to force himself to look away from Summer.

"I'm trying to explain this to you maturely. Please, be an adult about this."

Seth whirled around. "Oh? Me be an adult? You're the one standing here trying to break us up for no reason _whatsoever_!" Anger rose in Seth's body. "You're the one trying to end a five year relationship over nothing! And you're crying! You don't even _want_ this. I don't want this. I don't know what the fuck you're doing anymore!"

"I'm doing the right thing. I know I am."

"No, you're not. You're trying to ruin our future! What about everything we've been working towards? I love you! And I fucking know you love me so don't even try going down that route," Seth sneered.

"I _do_ love you. That's why I'm doing this."

Seth threw his arms up in rage. "Bullshit, Summer! All fucking _bullshit_!"

"I'm trying to explain it to you," Summer sobbed, wincing at Seth's sharp words.

Seth grunted mordantly. "Yeah, well, you got a lousy way of explaining things."

"What? You'd rather me write it in a note for you to find once I'm already gone?" Summer asked tartly, letting anger rise above her sadness.

"Yes, let's bring _all_ the pain and suffering from high school back to take over our current issues," Seth replied bitingly, "You wanna discuss Marissa's death while we're at it? I'm sure that will help us get off topic for the rest of the summer."

Summer stood up and reached her hand out, slapping Seth's right cheek.

Seth grazed his own hand against his burning cheek, "Fuck Summer. I was just trying to prove a point."

"Well your points suck!" Summer yelled as she grabbed her suitcase out of the closet, dragging it up onto the bed.

"Summer, stop it. I'm sorry, okay? Come on. This is _crazy_," Seth pleaded as he watched her throw clothes haphazardly into the suitcase, "You can't leave."

"I am."

"I won't let you."

"You can't stop me."

Seth slammed his fist on the dresser, "Damnit Summer!"

Summer jumped at his pounding and held her right hand over her chest, "You're scaring me."

Seth rushed over to her and took her face in his hands and brought his lips to hers, trying to show the intensity of his love for her the only way he knew how. Summer reacted instantly, knowing she could never deny Seth, especially when he looked so jilted and hurt. She felt his pain through the connecting of their mouths and Summer couldn't do anything except reciprocate the same feelings that were rising within her, thrusting them through the use of her tongue into Seth's mouth. She felt Seth's hope rise when she searched his mouth, but it fell when he felt Summer's hot tears on his cheek.

Summer knew she'd never kiss a man like this ever again. So she was savoring it, even though it was sending jolts of pain through her petite body.

Seth broke the kiss and stared at Summer's tear-stricken face, including her now swollen lips, as both of them breathed heavily. "_I love you_."

Summer nodded and bit her top lip. After a few silent moments, both trying to catch their breaths, she replied. "Then let me do this."

Seth let go and without saying a word or as much as one simple glance back, walked out of the bedroom into the bathroom, slamming the door shut, allowing the apartment and all the lifeless objects inside to shudder, including Summer herself.

She tried to wipe her tears and pulled out a pen along with an old receipt from her purse and scribbled a few words;

_I'm sorry. I'll pick up the rest of my stuff tomorrow while you're in Newport. I love you._

Summer left the note on the bed as she gathered her suitcase and walked out of their apartment, silently crying.

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Seth retreated back into the bedroom, seconds after hearing the apartment door close, knowing that Summer had left.

He immediately noticed the note resting on the end of the bed and read it.

Now he knew why Summer put up such a Goddamn fuss about that stupid note he wrote to her after he sailed off that one summer in high school.

These notes fucking sucked.

Seth picked up his phone that had fallen off the bed during his break up with Summer and found Ryan's name, pressing the 'Send' button once again, and holding it up to his ear.

"Hey, Mr. I'll-call-you-and-then-tell-you-I'll-call-you-back. How's it going?" Ryan joked on the other line.

"Sorry. I was busy," Seth answered emotional-less.

"Getting busy?" Ryan continued joking on the other line. Seth sat silent for a moment and Ryan waited, knowing Seth would not stay this quiet unless something serious was going on. "Seth, man… you all right?"

"Summer and I broke up."

"What?" Ryan shouted through the phone immediately, causing Seth to pull his phone away from his ear. "It's not an actual break up, right? You guys always get back together."

Seth sighed. "She packed up her suitcase. She's coming to pick up a bunch of her other stuff tomorrow when I'm in Newport."

"Seth…"

"We're over. We're really fucking over." Seth spoke into the phone as realization dawned on him and tears started to pour from his eyes. "Oh my God."

"Give me fifteen minutes," Ryan stated and then hung up his phone.

Seth listened to the dial tone until his loud heaving for gasps of air drowned it out.

He threw his phone against the wall as hard as he could, causing it to dent and the battery to fall out of the phone and to the floor. Seth stumbled against the closet, barely able to catch enough air, as tears of realization and shock racked his entire body.

He had just lost his future.

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Summer knocked on Chad's door, with her suitcase standing at her side and her face swollen from all the tears shed.

Chad opened the door and immediately enveloped Summer in his arms. "Summy, what _happened_?"

"I can't be with him anymore," Summer sobbed, hiccupping as she spoke. "He needs to find someone else. He needs to be happy."

Chad stared at her befuddled. "Why don't you come in and just calm down, okay sweetie?"

Stephen then appeared as Summer made her way into Chad's apartment, "Hey, what's going on out here?" Stephen saw Summer's face and instantaneously knew without the pleading look Chad was sending him. He instantly found himself on the other side of Summer, rubbing her back soothingly. "You're gonna go be okay, honey. Shhh… you're gonna be okay."

Summer weakly nodded. She didn't have the heart capacity to tell him that she didn't think she was ever going to be okay again.

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**A/N: I know I don't usually put notes at the end but to brighten this up, I felt a little spoiler was in order: This is the worst it gets. So, in turn, it can only get better from here on out, right? (Slowly, but definitely surely…)**

**Please review!**


	11. The Learning to Deal

**Disclaimer: Right… like the ownership of "The OC" was turned over to me in a matter of four days since I last said I didn't own it. _Please_.**

**A/N: So I'm pretty proud of myself for getting this finished so quick. I didn't think I'd have time and then I did and here you go! But don't expect another chapter anytime this week – it's sorority recruitment week which means I'm basically a slave to my organization. Awesome. (Note the sarcasm.) So yeah, enjoy this chapter.**

**Also, there's a little foreshadowing here from Sandy and Kirsten. Because, you know, I'm not _that_ evil. Even though the whole story up to now might seem like I am.**

**Read. Enjoy. And review! (Because, let's face it, that DOES make me want to write faster - when I eventually do have time again.)**

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Seth had decided, after soaking the random shirt he grabbed off of the floor of tears that now ran his eyes dry, that as soon as Ryan got there he was going to tell him he was over the break up, that he wasn't going to wallow because he had too much work to do, and that he was heading to Newport that day instead of the next.

He hoped Ryan would come with him because he didn't think he'd make the entire ride down there without running his car over a cliff.

His future was basically void – why bother living anymore?

Ryan smartly decided to go down with him. Taking the keys from Seth's hand, he plopped himself in Seth's Toyota 2007 Camry's (a regular, non-Newpsie car – but that's the only type of car Seth would allow himself to own) driver seat, despite arguments from Seth about him being the only one allowed to drive his car.

"No way. You'd drive us off the road. And I've had enough deadly car accidents to last a lifetime," Ryan had stated.

Seth stood silently, before nodding and getting into the passenger's seat. He didn't want Ryan to start getting all broody on the drive down, reliving Marissa's death once again, so he gave up the fight and obliged by Ryan's wishes.

Ryan knew that this was probably the closest Seth had ever come to knowing how Ryan had felt when Marissa died. Even though Ryan and Marissa hadn't been together when she passed, they had been through hell and came back stronger as friends. Ryan had been looking forward to a future including Marissa in it – good or bad, friends or more. And in that one night, everything had changed so drastically that for the longest two months to follow, he couldn't even contemplate his future. Feeling that it had just suddenly been ripped away from him, everything seemed like a dead end. And his life had seemed like it had peaked at eighteen, falling quickly to its demise before his half birthday.

Ryan took a glance to his right to see Seth's face leaning against the window, staring solemnly out onto the road. Seth's face wore the same expression Ryan's did the entire two, excruciatingly long months following Marissa's death.

Ryan was sure Seth thought his future looked like an empty black hole.

"Seth, man, you'll get past it, you know? Like, eventually… things just kind of turn out okay."

Seth didn't respond, he just continued staring out the window.

"I mean it. Dude, I know it sucks right now. Believe me, I do," Ryan chose his words carefully, "But, you know… it's not like she's dead... or anything."

Seth gradually lifted his head from the glass and peered over at Ryan, "I know she's not. And I'm not wallowing, Ryan. I'm thinking about stuff. Like, should I get a new roommate? Or, you know what? Maybe I'll just move back to Rhode Island earlier. I gotta find another place to live out there anyway – or at least another roommate – seeing as I doubt Summer will stop being neurotic as soon as she touches Rhode Island soil."

"It's okay if you want to wallow, you know."

"I'm not wallowing. And I'm not agonizing. Summer's done screwing with my life. I just need to refigure everything."

Ryan slowly nodded as Seth returned his head back to the window, leaning harder on the glass than he intended, but enjoying the pain it gave him.

Ryan and Seth spent the rest of the ride back to Newport Beach in silence.

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"So should we knock?" Seth asked as both he and Ryan stood with their gym bags for their overnight stay in their hands.

"Well, we don't really live here anymore so I guess…?"

Seth shrugged. "I know, it's just it doesn't feel like a knocking thing. I mean, man, we've never had to knock before."

"Yeah, but we've never _not_ lived here."

"This is true." Seth nodded his head in thought.

Ryan lifted his hand up, about to knock but Seth spoke up again. "Can we just go over a few things before we knock?"

"Umm," Ryan looked at him puzzled but retrieved his hand, "Sure."

"Okay, so this whole break up thing – can we not mention it to the parental units? I mean, I'd rather not have to hash up everything and start crying again – not that I was crying before."

Ryan smirked. "Right, your face was just red when I got there because of what again?"

"The heat," Seth replied sternly.

"The heat?" Ryan chuckled. "You've lived in Southern California your whole life. How is the heat affecting you now?"

"I've lived in Rhode Island for practically the past two years. The cold weather is starting to affect my physical attributes."

Ryan laughed again. "Attributes? Apparently Rhode Island has affected your vocabulary."

"Whatever, man, just don't -"

Just then, the door swung open to reveal an ecstatic Kirsten and a beaming Sandy.

"Boys! You're early!" Kirsten flung her arms around both of the boys' shoulders as Sandy laughed.

"We heard you two chatting outside for the past two minutes. Trying to decide who's gonna knock?" Sandy quipped.

Kirsten let them go, "Oh boys, you don't have to knock!"

Seth and Ryan smiled. "We know mom," Seth said as he started into the house, followed closely by Ryan. "We just thought it would be a selfless gesture. Showing we respect that it's your house and we're just merely guests now."

"We definitely don't expect to hold that to you, Seth," Sandy laughed. "When were you ever really selfless?"

Ryan grunted, smirking. "Yeah, when, man?"

"Yeah," Kirsten, still beaming added in, "Was it when you sailed off, letting us all worry or was it when you spent your entire high school years pining over Summer, hurting anyone else who got in the way?"

Seth and Ryan smiled awkwardly.

Sandy immediately spoke up, curiosity taking over. "Speaking of Summer – where is she? We thought she was coming too."

"Oh," Seth replied quickly. "She had a lot of work to do. You know, deadlines and stuff."

Kirsten and Sandy nodded.

"Of course. Summer's a working girl now," Kirsten smiled. "Well, we invited Dr. Roberts and Julie over for dinner tomorrow thinking she was coming. But whichever, I'm sure they'll be excited to see you both as it is."

"Yes, because Dr. Roberts has always been a fan of mine," Seth muttered sarcastically.

Kirsten put her arm affectionately on Seth's arm. "He enjoys your company now, Seth. He says he even misses your witty remarks around the house. I even heard him talking to Julie about how he hopes you and Summer's children have your sense of humor."

Seth smiled uncomfortably again but Ryan spoke up. "So, where do you want us to put our stuff?"

Both Sandy and Kirsten noticed the sudden shift in conversation but went along with it nonetheless, "Your old rooms are fine."

Seth and Ryan nodded and silently walked up to Seth's old room and the pool house, respectively.

"Did you notice that?" Kirsten asked Sandy, indicating the obviously awkward subject change, as Sandy nodded. "What do you think that means?"

"That Summer doesn't really have a lot of work back in LA but that Seth did something to upset her so she decided not to come until Seth came up with some grand gesture to convince her he's sorry."

Kirsten raised her eyebrows. "You got all that from the subject change?"

"No, I heard Seth telling Ryan not to tell us about the break up. They were talking about it before we opened the door. So I'm assuming Summer broke up with him. Again." Sandy smiled and kissed Kirsten. "Don't worry, they'll work it out."

Kirsten smiled into Sandy's kiss. "They always do."

"They learn from the best," Sandy mumbled as he continued kissing his wife.

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Later that night after dinner, sounds of Seth's ring tone flooded his childhood room. Seth reached into his pocket and looked at the caller ID on his duct-taped phone (due to his temper tantrum of flinging it across the room earlier that morning) before answering.

It was Summer.

Seth flipped the phone open and answered hesitantly, "Summer?"

A man's voice came through instead. "No, actually it's Chad. Summer's friend from work? Remember?"

Seth sighed. "Oh, umm… hi, Chad."

"Hi, I just wanted to let you know Summer's staying with me. She didn't want to call you but I felt that you should at least know where she was."

"Well, thank you. That's… umm… that's good to know."

"But Summy doesn't want you to come chasing after her. I think she just needs a little time, you know?"

"Not really," Seth retorted. "Tell me Chad – why does she feel the need to break up with me – even thought she says she loves me -, saying that _apparently_ I need some time to figure shit out, and then decide she needs time for herself. _Tell me_ _Chad_, what the fuck happened. And let me just preface this by saying if you had any part in this I cannot be held accountable for my actions once I come back to LA."

"I didn't tell her to do it. I swear. In fact, I told her not to do it. She just… you know, actually, Seth I shouldn't be talking to you about this. Like, it's totally not my place."

"You called me. I asked you. It sure fucking is your place."

"She wants you to see other people."

"Why the fuck would she want that?" Seth spat. "Why would she want me to date other people if she's in love with me? Or is she not anymore? Did she just not have the guts to tell me to my face that she doesn't want a future with me anymore? God, I knew this living together thing was going to blow up in my face – I should have just listened to the guys back on campus when they told me moving in with a girlfriend wasn't a smart idea," Seth rambled.

"Seth, she's in love with you. That's why she thinks she has to do this."

Seth shook his head without realizing Chad couldn't see the gesture, "Uh uh. Nope. Doesn't make sense."

"She wants you to be happy."

"I am happy – was happy – whatever! What have I done to show her that I'm miserable!" Seth yelled into the phone as Ryan entered his room, sending Seth a questionable look.

"There's other girls…"

"No there aren't! There are no other girls! There is only Summer! Where is she? I want to talk to her!"

On Chad's end, Summer had entered seeing Chad on her phone, and she, clad in her pajamas, knew instantly that the yelling coming through her phone was from Seth. "I'm sorry, Seth. I have to go."

"No! I want to fucking talk to Summer!"

"Bye," Chad hung up the phone.

"Shit!" Seth yelled as he threw the phone on his bed.

Ryan, who was now leaning up against Seth's wall chewing an apple, looked over to him. "Over it, huh?"

Seth grunted as he pulled out his briefcase. "I have to get this research done."

Ryan simply nodded and headed back out the door.

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"I'm sorry," Chad said as he shut Summer's phone and handed it back to Summer.

"I know. You probably did the right thing. I don't want him to worry."

"He's worrying a lot, sweetie."

Summer swiped some hair away from her face that had fallen out of her messy ponytail. "Yeah, well…"

"Summy, maybe this isn't as great of an idea as you thought. He loves you. You could hear his heart breaking over the phone. His voice says it all."

"His actions say otherwise," Summer scoffed.

Chad walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "I don't think he wants to be with other girls."

"You don't know that."

"You don't know that he does."

Summer released herself from his grip. "I'm going to bed. Or to the couch. Whatever. Thanks for the blankets."

Chad sighed as Summer walked out the doorway as Stephen appeared. "She's not rethinking anything, huh?" Stephen whispered.

"She's determined to make him date other people. But, from talking to him on the phone – or actually him yelling at me on the phone –he doesn't sound like he wants to date anyone else. Ever. Again."

"So Summer's gonna be waiting awhile?"

Chad sighed again. "Yeah… I wish she wouldn't be so stubborn." Chad fell onto the bed as Stephen followed his action.

"Stubborn?"

Chad nodded. "I know I haven't known her that long but I think it's pretty easy to see she's now realizing she might have made a mistake but she's too determined to prove herself right. Even if she is ruining her relationship – which just happens to coincide with her future."

Summer stood outside the door, a little further down the hallway listening to Chad and Stephen's conversation. She wasn't being stubborn. She was looking out for what was best for both her and Seth in the long run. This would probably help them both be able to stay friends later in life when Seth married the girl he was meant to be with and she… well… when she watched from the sidelines.

Summer slinked over to the couch and covered the sheet up around her, trying to fall asleep.

She wasn't being stubborn. She wasn't ruining her future.

She was just ruining her relationship with the only guy who ever gave a damn about her.

But that was the intention.

Right?


	12. The Blissful Ignorance

**Disclaimer: Ownership would be a negative on my part.**

**A/N: Don't really have much to say. Thanks (as always) to the reviewers. I had noticed there were definitely less reviews than normal but hopefully it was just a lull and people will still continue to read and review.**

**And in answer to Jules' question – I think there's gonna be around 18-20 chapters. Not quite sure yet.**

**Anyway, read, enjoy, and review (please).**

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"Hey Lana," Ryan yawned into his phone. "What time is it?"

"It's nearly noon. Where are you? Last night was the opening for the art gallery across town. Remember you said you'd go with me?"

Ryan groaned, sitting up in his old pool house bed. All the curtains were shut so he couldn't tell that the sun had already been out for hours. Normally, Seth would have waltzed right into the pool house, around, oh… probably six or seven in the morning, demanding to have Seth-Ryan time so he could talk incessantly about his break up with Summer.

Ryan looked over to the clock. It was 11:37am. And there was no sign of Seth.

Which was never a good sign.

"I'm _really_ sorry. Yesterday Summer broke up with Seth and, although he said he was fine, he was taking it pretty hard and we ended up coming down to Newport a day early."

"Oh," Lana spoke quietly. "She really broke up with him? Why?"

"I haven't really been able to figure that out yet. But judging from her reaction at dinner Friday night, it probably has something to do with him not being happy or something."

"Summer's been acting a bit off lately, don't you think?" Lana questioned Ryan.

"Yeah… I don't know what's gotten into her. But I'm sure it will come out soon enough. So you're not mad?"

"Well, I was but then when you didn't show and didn't answer your phone, I ended up calling Emily and going with her. It wasn't that big of a deal."

Ryan smiled into the phone. "Thanks."

"Although," Lana piped up again, "If it had been for any other reason than you trying to save Seth from drowning in self-pity, I would have been ten times angrier."

"I'll keep that in mind next time I need an excuse," Ryan joked.

"I'll remember you said that next time you use an excuse."

Ryan's smile got wider. "I gotta go find Seth. He hasn't been in here yet this morning so he's probably either camped out in his room watching movies in a pitiful state or planning some grand gesture to win Summer back."

"It's not even noon. Maybe he was letting you sleep."

"Seth's not considerate when there's a crisis on his hands."

"All right," Lana sighed happily, "Call me when you get back. Love you."

"Love you too," Ryan replied, flipping his phone shut as he got up and made his way into the Cohen kitchen.

Ryan entered the kitchen to see Sandy, Kirsten, and Seth all sitting together at the table, casually eating bagels, drinking juice, and chatting about Seth's life in LA while the newspaper sections were sprawled across the table.

"Hey Ryan!" Sandy looked up as he saw Ryan enter, and Kirsten and Seth turned to greet Ryan as well.

"How did you sleep?" Kirsten asked.

"Great. Thanks," Ryan slipped into a chair, grabbing a bagel and putting cream cheese on it.

Seth spoke up. "Come on buddy. I thought a few years of college under your belt would make you a little bit peppier in the morning."

Ryan sent him a questionable look as he poured the orange juice into an empty glass. "Why are you so happy today? Did you get any calls?"

Both Kirsten and Sandy looked over to Seth in response to Ryan's question, but Seth hid the question nicely. "Yeah, my boss. Turns out he's going out of town for a week so we can't have the meeting until next Monday. Gives me an extra week to do everything I needed to get done today."

Ryan smiled falsely and took a bite out of his bagel as Seth did the same.

Sandy stood up. "Well, it's good to have you back boys, but I gotta go down to the office and tie up a few loose ends. Seth," Seth looked up, "Do you wanna come with me? Get a little more work experience?"

"No, thanks though. I was thinking about taking a break from everything work-related since I've been given an extension. Planning on hitting up the tourist areas of Newport." Seth clasped his hands and rubbed them together happily.

"Since when do you do tourist things? In Newport?" Kirsten asked laughingly.

"Since today," Seth smiled. "What time's dinner?"

"Well, we told Dr. Roberts and Julie to be over around 4:30."

"Sounds awesome," Seth stood up and slapped his dad on the back lightly. "I'll be back around four to help you guys set up."

Seth then walked off, up to his room as Sandy and Kirsten turned towards Ryan, sending raised eyebrows.

"I honestly don't know," Ryan mumbled with his mouth still full. "I gotta go get ready too."

Ryan walked back off into the pool house, holding the remainder of the bagel in his hand. He immediately grabbed his phone and dialed Seth's number.

"Hey man, we're not across town. You could have easily walked up the stairs to talk to me," Seth laughed into his phone after seeing that Ryan was calling.

"What is up with you?"

"Nothing. I'm getting ready. You gonna hit the pier with me or stay around the house?"

Ryan thought for a second. "The pier. I'll be ready in twenty."

"Me too. Later," Seth hung up and Ryan stared at his phone confused.

Seth never ignored problems or issues that concerned himself. He always made sure everyone knew about them by talking about them consistently, and even if he didn't do that – which happened very rarely -, he made sure Ryan was always the "go-to" person to release all his complaints.

Ryan thought maybe yesterday when Seth said he was going to the store before dinner, he instead actually made a trip across the border to Mexico and picked up some illegal depression pills and had taken them early this morning to stop him from over-obsessing and worrying about his break up with Summer.

"Do depression pills kick in that fast?" Ryan asked himself out loud, as he grabbed an old wife beater out of the drawer.

Then Ryan immediately shook his head and laughed to himself for even thinking his ridiculous story had actually occurred.

But something was definitely up with Seth.

And although he wasn't sure he wanted to find out, he wasn't sure he could not.

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Summer unlocked the door and pushed it open; unable to move her feet forward into the apartment she shared with Seth.

_Had _shared.

She had never just stood in this place, peering inside the apartment, before. It gave her a new, outside perspective view of her life. Everything inside had been who she was and what she had to offer for the past two months. It was her life.

The couch was covered in chaos of old newspapers, the faint smell of left-over food reached her nose, and there were random pieces of paper, clothing, and clumps of trash throughout the carpeted floor of the entire apartment – reaching down the hallway that was connecting the bathroom and bedroom, which was received by two completely shut doors.

This was her life.

Her life was a mess.

Summer walked in, empty suitcase in hand, and shut the apartment door, sighing.

This wasn't what she had planned when she thought about her move out day. She thought Seth would be with her, packing up the big items to put into a moving van to ship them out to Rhode Island and into their new apartment they had waiting for them in Providence. Summer never thought she'd be packing up her needed necessities only to move ten minutes away to live with her gay friend and his boyfriend on their couch.

But somehow, it turned out that way.

Summer pushed open the door to the bedroom and immediately saw the crumpled up note she had written the day before on the floor, falling almost exactly halfway between the dresser and the bed. She placed the suitcase on the floor and reached down for the note, putting it in her pocket, knowing Seth didn't need any reminders of the break up when he came back from Newport that night.

She also noticed the new dent in the wall that was hidden behind the door and next to the dresser. Summer ran her fingers over it as her vision became blurry for probably the thousandth time in the past couple of days. She quickly removed her hand to wipe the tears that appeared in her eyes.

She walked back over to the suitcase, unzipping it on the bed, and began going through the closet for the rest of her clothes. Soon, she began hustling throughout the entire apartment, gathering all of her belongings and throwing them into the suitcase.

As she was emptying her life from the apartment, she stumbled across a photo album she had been making for the past two years, huddled underneath a few sweatshirts and old jeans she kept tucked in the far corner of her closet.

She grabbed it out slowly and fell backwards onto the floor, sliding up to the wall to lean against. Summer opened the cover and began examining each of the pictures, one by one, that defined her relationship with Seth ever since she was that snobby fifteen year-old bitch living in the Newport Beach bubble.

The only pictures that this album held were of ones that captured Seth and Summer's candid moments – both good and bad. All the beginning ones were either taken by Marissa or Kirsten – both people who were obsessed with taking candid photos in high school. Summer always thought it was odd to take pictures of people who weren't smiling or looking at the camera, but Marissa had always said that they showed the true story of a relationship. That smiles only hid the love that Summer and Seth held for one another throughout their high school years – when were together as a couple and even more so when they were apart.

Marissa had given Summer this album as her graduation present, with the pictures she'd already collected inserted inside. She told Summer to find someone else to continue it for her in college – almost seeming that she sensed that her time on this Earth would be cut drastically short in a few given hours – and Summer had smiled awkwardly, wondering what had possessed Marissa to take all of these candid photos of Seth and herself.

Summer wanted to ask Marissa how she knew to keep all these pictures of her and Seth, knowing they would both make it through their high school years together as a couple, but Summer never got the chance.

So Summer never had an answer as to why Marissa knew Seth and Summer would appreciate this album long down the road. And Summer really wished now that she did know why because any type of comfort that Seth and Summer were meant to be together would bring her world back into perspective.

Sometimes Summer thought Marissa had known everything. That she knew the future and foresaw everything that was to happen in her friends' lives, as well as her own.

And then Summer would realize that this thought was stupid. That Marissa was not some saint that came to inspire wisdom in the lives of others, but rather was a fucked up eighteen year old who messed around with an obsessive drug addict for attention, who in turn, killed her in the process. Marissa wasn't the perfect, model person everyone from the outside saw her as. She was someone who always tried to seize all the attention through any means, always trying to be the one people gossiped about. Marissa was addicted to drama. Marissa was stupid for dating a drunken drug addict. Marissa should have pulled herself together and gone off to college like she was supposed to do.

_Marissa, Marissa, Marissa._

And there was nothing "Brady Bunch" about it.

It was pretty clear that Summer never really forgave Marissa for causing her own death.

After Marissa died, Summer finally understood Marissa's reasons for taking all the pictures because she was able to see it in all of the candid pictures of Marissa that were put on display during her funeral. The pictures in which Marissa's pose showed that she was hiding an inner sadness behind her smile, while the candids told it like it was. That Marissa's life, however short it was, was full of hope, fear, trust, guilt, and love.

It was then that Summer decided she would continue the album and make a scrapbook of it to put on display at her and Seth's future wedding her eighteen year old self was sure would take place one day.

Seth's smiles throughout the photos stopped Summer's tears momentarily. She started smiling along with him – whether he was wrapping the rope of his too-pathetic-to-actually-call-a-boat sailboat while Summer sat on the deck behind him, talking to him or if he was falling asleep on Summer's lap while they watched a movie in her dorm room freshman year, with Summer's hands playing with the curls in his hair. Seth was always smiling.

Maybe that meant something. Maybe he was happy with Summer.

Summer immediately shut the album closed and threw it up into the suitcase.

No, he needed to find someone else.

He wasn't happy. And he wouldn't be until he dated other people and found the woman he was supposed to be with for the rest of his life.

Summer stood up and zipped the suitcase shut, pulling it off the bed, walking out of the apartment. Silent tears fell down her cheeks as she descended down the three flights of stairs for the last time.


	13. The Slow Motion Pace

**Disclaimer: Absolutely not and probably never will it be mine.**

**A/N: Well, the uplifting confidence boost from all my reviewers was greatly appreciated. You guys make me want to write faster – no lie. So thanks.**

**Secondly, since this chapter is basically a rather short filler, I decided I'd let you guys in on something good (or at least I hope you'll think of it that way) – I'm hoping to finish up this entire story just in time for the season premiere on November 2nd. So, in terms for all my readers, that means I'll be updating at least once a week – probably every five or so days, actually. Hopefully that brings a smile to your face. :)**

**Alright, well… as always, read, enjoy, & review please!**

**And look for another update probably on Saturday!**

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Summer struggled, trying to open the door to the apartment building, and was thankful when someone came along, holding it open for her.

She smiled as she looked up and as soon as her eyes came in contact with the other person's, her smiled faded and turned into an icy glare.

"Why, hey there Summer! Going on a vacation or something?" Bethany beamed.

"Not really," Summer tugged her suitcase out the door as Bethany decided to follow.

"Oh no?"

Summer rolled her eyes as Bethany trailed her towards the curb. "No."

"You and Seth didn't have another argument, did you?"

Summer began to mumble incoherent sentences about Bethany being the biggest bitch she had ever met – which was saying something since she was from Newport Beach _and_ Julie Cooper-Nichol-Cooper-Roberts was her stepmother.

"Aw, you're moving out? I knew that you and Seth weren't working out anymore. It just wasn't meant to be. You'll find someone to be happier with. As, _I'm sure_, Seth will also."

Summer turned around suddenly to a smirking Bethany. "Were you always this evil?"

"Excuse me?"

"Were you always this uptight little California bitch who thrived on seeing other people in pain?"

Bethany rolled her eyes. "Just because your relationship didn't work out doesn't mean you can blame me for it, Summer. You can't use me as the scapegoat."

"I'm not using you as the scapegoat – I'm just using you as the evil bitch," Summer snarled as she turned around again, waving down a taxi.

Bethany smiled, ignoring Summer's comment. "I'll make sure Seth has a shoulder to cry on."

"Great. You do that."

"Have a great life, Summer."

Summer ignored Bethany as she reentered the apartment building and Summer stood waiting for a cab to not only take her away from her apartment, but to take her away from the next door neighbor from hell.

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"So where were you actually planning on going, man?" Ryan asked as they reached Seth's car, this time allowing Seth to drive.

"The pier."

"No, really," Ryan laughed. "Kirsten and Sandy aren't around right now so you can tell me the truth."

"I wasn't lying. I wanna go down to the pier," Seth replied as he buckled himself in and started the car.

"You actually want to go down to the pier?" Seth nodded to Ryan's question. "What for?"

Seth shrugged. "Something to do, I guess."

"That's all we did in high school. And it's all Summer avoided after the accident."

Seth sighed. Ryan never said 'Marissa's death' or 'after Marissa died' or any other type of sentence relation. Just like Summer had avoided the pier after Marissa's sudden death, Ryan avoided saying the name Marissa.

"I know," Seth let his voice soften. "I think that's why I wanna go. You sure you still wanna come?"

Ryan nodded. "If that's what you wanna do, then let's go."

"You don't have to come, you know. I'm not going to drive off the pier or do something irrational like that."

"I want to come. Put the car in drive, Seth."

Seth smiled and put the car into reverse and drove down the driveway.

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Summer trudged up Chad's few flights of stairs, tugging her suitcase behind her. A man, probably a few years older than Summer, holding a sleeping toddler, spoke up behind Summer, startling her.

"You need any help with that?"

Summer stopped mid-stairwell and turned abruptly around, "Ah, thanks but you look like you have your hands full enough," Summer responded, nodding towards the sleeping girl.

The man smiled and started to hand over the child, "Take her."

Summer's face scrunched up. "Umm… what?"

"Just take her for a second. I swear she doesn't bite."

Summer smiled uncomfortably but took the child that was being handed to her. As she did this, he took the suitcase and began carrying it up as Summer followed carrying the child.

"What floor are you on?" the man asked, striking up conversation after a few uncomfortable moments of silence.

"Fifth. Apartment E."

"Ah, yeah, I don't think there was anyway you could make it up three more flights with this thing," the man smiled. "By the way, I'm Rex. And I'd shake your hand to make the introductions proper but I'm afraid this suitcase would fall back down to the ground floor."

Summer smiled. "I'm Summer."

Rex smiled back. "Nice to meet you, Summer. And that sleepy girl you're holding right there is Marissa. And I'm sure if she was awake and could speak proper sentences she'd say it's nice to meet you too."

Summer's smile faltered for a second at the name, but she quickly resumed her composure. "How old is she?"

"Almost two," Rex replied. "Marissa and her mom and I all live on the fourth floor. Apartment C." Rex put the suitcase down in front of Chad's door. "So if you ever need anything or are carrying any more heavy suitcases up five flights of stairs, you know where to find me."

Summer handed baby Marissa back to Rex as she started to stir. Her wide blue eyes opened, peering between her father and Summer with a questionable look before resting her head on her father's shoulder again.

And even though it was only a second, baby Marissa's blue eyes peered into Summer's brown ones and Summer thought she was seeing her best friend again for the first time in two years.

"Thanks," Summer replied as Rex and baby Marissa began to walk back down the stairs. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Summer opened the apartment door and heard giggling coming from the bedroom, knowing Chad and Stephen were in there together. Summer winced only so slightly as she fell onto the couch, turning the TV on to drown out the voices.

She didn't have a problem with things like that – in fact, she was completely in favor of gay rights – but the sounds only brought her reminders of Seth.

And she was already on emotional overload due to moving out of her apartment, coming across the candid photo album, recalling her feelings over Marissa's death, and then finally, meeting a little girl named Marissa with _her_ Marissa's blue eyes. All to top it off with realizing she had just broken up with the man she had dreamt spending her life with, all so he could go date some whore like Bethany and live happily ever after with her.

Summer immediately got up and raced into bathroom.

Suddenly she wasn't feeling so good.

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"So this is what the pier looks like," Seth got out from the car and shut the door. "You know, I know this is gonna sound stupid but I couldn't even remember what it looked like."

Ryan sent him a sideways glance in question as Seth made his way over towards Ryan.

"I mean, it's just been so long since we've been down here. Almost two years. Can you believe that, man? It's been two years, Ryan."

Ryan merely nodded as both he and Seth looked out onto the pier.

"What do you say about the diner? Maybe we can try and get that same booth we always got senior year when we went in. Granted, the mathematical probability of that happening isn't high, but then again it worked for us in high school," Seth smirked.

Ryan smiled in response as he started walking towards the diner. "Come on, man. I'm getting a craving for a Newport burger."

The entire afternoon, Ryan and Seth spent time on the pier and down by the beach. They went to the diner for lunch – and not so shockingly got their old booth when they asked for it -, went over to the Crab Shack for dessert, and then headed over to the Bait Shop to find that it was now a hip place for young junior highers whose overdramatic, girly hair flips and manly 'Dude' sayings were far too annoying for either Seth or Ryan to handle. Then they made their way down to the beach, grabbing a hotdog off a vendor because they were already hungry again, and lastly making their way into a surf shop where Seth decidedly said he was finally going to learn how to surf and Ryan crashed those dreams by saying he couldn't learn in a month and that Providence didn't have the best surf tracking record.

"Plus," Ryan added in, "If you start up with surfing, it's for sure Sandy's genetic make-up has been completely instilled in you. Are you really looking forward to getting those eyebrows?"

Seth had shut up immediately about surfing.

All in all it was a pretty decent Seth-Ryan time afternoon. No more mentions of high school, Marissa, or Summer were had.

The latter of the subjects being the one thing that had Ryan worrying all afternoon.

Ryan had tried to bring up the topic of conversation to Seth but he had always managed to rear the conversation elsewhere. As far as Ryan could tell, Seth was doing perfectly fine. If he hadn't known better, he would never have thought that Summer and Seth had been arguing lately and that Summer had decidedly broken up with him, moving her stuff out of their apartment as they spoke.

But Ryan did know better. And he definitely knew Seth. And there was no way Seth was okay knowing Summer was no longer in his life.

"Hey," Seth jolted Ryan out of his concerns. "It's almost four. I think we should head back and help out a bit. And by help out I mean play a couple of video games before Dr. Roberts and Julie come over."

Ryan smirked. "I knew you weren't really sincere during breakfast about saying you'd help out."

Seth laughed. "Dude, when am I _ever_ sincere?"

"When you talk about Summer," Ryan let slip while laughing, not going unnoticed by Seth's sudden quietness.

"Yeah, well, let's head back." Seth pulled his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. Ryan hopped in as well as Seth put on the radio and didn't speak for the rest of the ride, as Ryan wished he could have taken back his comment.

He didn't want to be responsible for sending Seth into a panic spiral _before_ dinner.

He was waiting for the four adults to do that unconsciously _during_ the dinner.


	14. The Newport Beach Gathering

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately I am not Josh Schwartz (even though indiechick500 kindly asked if I was – haha, quite the compliment so thank you!), so the ownership of The OC is not mine to be meddled with.**

**A/N: I really did not expect that many awesome reviews about my filler chapter but yet you guys still decided to surprise me! So thank you! Also, I know a few people had mentioned something about a pregnancy and while I tend to like (okay, okay – _love_) stories with a Seth and Summer baby, I feel that in this story a pregnancy would make a Seth/Summer reunion forced rather than wanted… you know what I mean? So going down that route here…? Probably a negative. But hey – you never know!**

**Alright – read, enjoy, & review like it's your favorite thing to do in the entire world. :)**

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"Neil! Julie! We didn't hear you guys knock _or_ ring the doorbell!" Sandy commented wryly as Dr. Roberts and Julie came into the kitchen.

"That's cause we didn't. Sandy, we're family. We don't need to do that kind unnecessary stuff," Julie replied, beaming, while Sandy mumbled to himself. "Now where are those handsome boys and my beautiful stepdaughter?"

Both Ryan and Seth looked over their shoulders and the couch to see Julie running towards them, as her heels clanked on the floor. Ryan and Seth stood up, pausing their video game, and stumbled back a foot as Julie launched herself at them, throwing her arms around each of their shoulders.

Ever since Marissa died, Julie had fully embraced Marissa's best friends, feeling that keeping close to them made her closer to Marissa. Ryan had been shocked by Julie's sudden fondness of him, Seth, and Summer, while Seth had declared it only a ploy for Julie to make up for her mistakes that she made when Marissa was alive. Seth had stated that Julie probably thought that as a result of her new fondness for her daughter's former best friends, Marissa would forgive her mother, even when she was now rotting six feet below ground.

Summer had slapped him for making this comment. Seth then had decided to embrace Julie's new attachment to the remaining "Core Four." Seth's comment was never brought up again.

"I've missed you boys!" Julie stood back admiring them and then suddenly noticed Summer's absence, "Where's Summer?"

Dr. Roberts came into the living room where Ryan, Seth, and Julie were. "Summer didn't come?"

"Umm… no, sir. She had a lot of work back in LA," Seth answered. "Her jobs keeps her on her toes."

"Well, I'm glad you're not interfering with her work, Seth." Dr. Roberts slapped him on the back as Seth winced slightly, both in pain and in Dr. Roberts unknowingly hurtful words. "You're keeping her in line."

Seth smiled awkwardly back. "Sure am, sir."

Kirsten then came into view, holding a plate of turkey and placing it on the table. "Everything's ready!"

Dr. Roberts and Julie walked back towards the table talking to Sandy and Kirsten as they continued setting more food items on the table.

Ryan grabbed Seth's arm as Seth had started walking towards the table. "Ow. Dude! What?"

"So you're just going to act like everything's just peachy?" Ryan whispered.

"First of all – peachy? That's a bit minty, man. Even for you. And secondly – yes, I am."

"That's gonna blow up in your face. Dr. Roberts is gonna hate you when he finds out you lied to him and hurt his daughter."

Seth held up his hands in defense. "Hey, hey. I didn't hurt Summer. _Pretty sure_ it was the other way around."

"He doesn't know that," Ryan glared. "And you really think he's going to take your side over Summer's?"

"There are no sides, Ryan. Just a dinner. With a very large, delicious turkey. And mashed potatoes. And lots of other yummy goodness. So let's go eat." Seth ignored Ryan's continued glares as he made his way over the table, "Wow, mom, I really thought the cooking skills were just a phase but this looks great!"

Ryan rolled his eyes and walked over to the table as well, sitting down.

"Thanks for your confidence, Seth," Kirsten smiled sarcastically as she sat down. "I knew you'd always support me and my ventures."

"Of course, mom," Seth replied, spooning mashed potatoes onto his plate. "I'm a very supportive son. Every parent should be so lucky."

Sandy snorted as Kirsten smirked. Julie then spoke up in response. "We're looking forward to having you for a supportive son too." She then grabbed Dr. Roberts's hand on the table, smiling at him. "We've both never had a son before."

Seth stuffed his face full of turkey and mashed potatoes to avoid replying to Julie's comment.

"Can anyone pass the salt? The potatoes taste a little plain. Need to _spice_ things up." Ryan smirked, knowing his choice of words were to take a jab at Seth's attempt at postponing the inevitable, as he looked over at Seth's effort at a deadly glare.

Oh yeah, this dinner was gonna go over just swimmingly.

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"So, Seth," Dr. Roberts finished swallowing and began to start conversation with his assumed future son-in-law. "How's the internship working out? Summer said you got a promotion or something. You're working on a real case?"

Seth stopped chewing for a second. Seth had only gotten the promotion on Thursday night, right before he and Summer started in on their big fight that caused her to break up with him on Saturday. When did Summer have time to call her father and tell him all about Seth's life? And since she had time to mention details about Seth's life, did she mention hitting a little rough patch with him? Were her father and her still that close that Summer would confide in him? Would Dr. Roberts know what was bothering Summer so much?

As much as Seth hoped he would, so he could finally have some lucid answers, he also hoped he wouldn't.

"Umm…" Seth swallowed. "Summer called you?"

"Yes, yes. Friday afternoon. Why?"

"Oh, no reason really," Seth looked over to Ryan and Ryan shook his head sternly, but discreetly, trying to stop Seth from causing any more problems, but Seth ignored Ryan's actions. "It's just… has Summer mentioned anything else to you?"

"Like what?" Dr. Roberts put down his fork and knife on the table and stared at Seth questionably.

"You know, this turkey is great, Kirsten," Ryan interrupted.

"Oh thanks, Ryan. All it really took was -"

This time it was Seth to interrupt. "Like thoughts, feelings, anything of that sort?"

"What are you getting at, son?" Sandy asked.

By now everyone was eyeing Seth intently while Seth's mind finally caught up with his heart. Seth was now realizing that he couldn't ignore this break up because it wasn't just some fleeting, meaningless thing. Summer had moved out. She wasn't coming back. Seth was going to be arriving to an empty apartment that night with all of Summer's belongings missing. And Seth needed to fix this because he couldn't live without Summer and every time he thought about his future for the past two days, he had been trying to imagine someone else's life or that what had had happened Saturday morning wasn't real, but rather an impossibly hellish nightmare.

Coming to Newport was probably his stupidest idea. No – scratch that. Coming to Newport _a day early than he was asked to_ was probably his stupidest idea. Newport Beach did stupid things to him. It made him think that he was still a careless high schooler who didn't have to worry about anything except getting good grades and winning the heart of his longtime crush.

Reality was starting to hit Seth like a lifeless body hit water. And he soon realized he was sinking to rock bottom.

Seth wasn't in high school anymore. He had a job with serious responsibilities. And he had an apartment that he had to pay rent on, by himself now because the girl he had planned on marrying broke up with him the day before.

His future was shattered.

And Seth was suddenly starting to knock himself out of his daydream and back into the world of reality.

"Well, you know, its just Summer hasn't really been herself lately. And I didn't know what to do about it. You know? She was just acting _weird_."

"Seth, what happened to being peachy?" Ryan mumbled to Seth.

"I'm forgoing peachy and going for your minty," Seth replied casually, speaking in a clear and calm voice.

Julie interrupted Ryan and Seth's exchange. "Weird how, Seth?"

"Weird how," Seth laughed to himself sardonically. "Well, weird like randomly saying oh-I-love-you-but-I-can't-be-with-you-anymore-so-I'm-just-going-to-pack-up-and-move-out-while-you-go-to-Newport-and-act-like-everything's-just-Goddamn-peachy. That kind of weird." Seth shoved another forkful of mashed potatoes forcibly into his mouth.

Ryan looked down at his plate and grunted. So much for being subtle.

"Seth," Kirsten tried to calm him.

"No, no. I'm fine, really." Seth swallowed and cleared his throat to continue talking. "Its just," Seth swung his elbows up to rest on the table while his hands went in every which way, almost talking for him. "You know… when I go back tonight no one will be there. And all her stuff will be gone," Seth started laughing disdainfully. "Really, that's fine. I'm fine. It's fine." Seth looked down at his plate, shaking his head, chuckling, and grabbing his fork again.

"Summer broke up with you?" Dr. Roberts asked incredulously.

"Well, that's the question of the day, really," Seth looked back up at Dr. Roberts, smiling brightly, but falsely, "Actually it's more like the question of the Goddamn fucking universe -"

"Seth!" Kirsten exclaimed at her son's choice of words.

" – Because one minute we're perfectly fine and then I go to the fucking bathroom and I come back and she's decided to pull out a suitcase and pack up her stuff! Like it's just an everyday thing! That, ah, you know… umm… five-year relationships end every fucking day for no reason!" Seth tilted his head to the side shaking it as his arms flung in the air animatedly.

"Seth, man, think that's enough?" Ryan muttered.

Seth stood up as the rest of the table stared on. "Nope. I don't think that's enough, _Ryan_. Look at you, with your perfect relationship with Lana – no fights, no arguments, no problems. Everything's just _peachy_ for you!"

"Hey, watch it," Sandy stood up, trying to calm Seth. "This isn't Ryan's fault."

"You're right," Seth resumed laughing again. "It's no one's fault! Not even mine! Actually, I guess it is my fault because I wasn't happy enough. Yeah, that's why she didn't want to be with me anymore. _Because I wasn't happy enough._ That's ridiculous! Who breaks up an almost five-year relationship because the other person isn't happy fucking go-lucky every second of the day!"

"Seth, that's enough," Sandy grabbed onto Seth's shoulder.

"Yeah, it's easy for you to stay calm," Seth scoffed as he threw his napkin on the table and began to walk away, but stopped abruptly, turning around to continue, "All of you are in perfect relationships while I have to sit through another Goddamn Newport Beach relationship end. You know, that's just _swell_ because after all the time I tried so fucking hard to get out of here and make my life something outside of this bubble it just completely backfires on me and sends me right back to this fucking hellhole that reminds of everything Summer! And you know what sucks the most?" Seth paused for a single nanosecond as everyone just stared at Seth, afraid of what he might say or do next. "What sucks the most is I _want_ everything to remind me of Summer! I want to see her and be reminded of her everywhere around here because I know that as soon as I leave this place tonight, it's all really over. She'll really be gone. We'll really be done. And I just… I can't… I fucking _hate_ Newport!"

And with that, Seth slammed his fist on the table and walked off, up the stairs, slamming his door in his wake as the sound reverberated throughout the entire house.

The whole table sat in silence for a few moments, until all the adults' eyes eventually looked over to Ryan for answers.

"Summer broke up with him yesterday morning," Ryan started in explanation. "I don't really know what happened – he didn't really talk about it. But I think that's why he wanted to come here a day early. So we did." The adults began to nod absentmindedly, taking in everything they just witnessed and heard. "Why did you want us to come anyway?" Ryan asked Kirsten quickly as an afterthought.

Kirsten looked dumbfounded and answered Ryan apathetically, looking like she were staring off into space. "We're moving back to Berkeley in October."

"You're moving, Kiki?" Julie whimpered, realization on both Seth's encounter and the Cohen's news dawning on her.

Kirsten shook her head listlessly as the rest of the table sat back into their bewilderment of the two occurrences and newsbreaks of the dinner.

"Oh… well…" Ryan picked up his fork and brought the turkey on it up his mouth. "This turkey really is great."

Kirsten smiled slightly at Ryan, Julie's face was etched in sadness, and both Sandy and Dr. Roberts were looking towards the stairs, as if to try and figure out what had just happened with Seth.

Nothing like a Newport Beach gathering to stir things up.


	15. The Passing of Time

**Disclaimer: You know it's not mine.**

**A/N: So I wasn't going to put this up today. I had no plans on posting this next chapter at all. But due to a mishap in the city (a small plane crashing into an apartment building – not terrorism, thank God, but rather a baseball player who apparently didn't know how to fly a plane all that well) and basically all roads are closed off and subways are late and crowded, I had nothing to do except stay in my dorm room and watch the news and write. So yeah…**

**Anyway, this weekend is my birthday weekend and I'll be partying continually – yeah, I'm one of those people who thinks their birthday is the greatest holiday of the year (even if it isn't really an actual holiday) – so I probably won't get a lot of writing done. So another chapter in 5 days…? Probably unlikely. _However_, the more reviews I get, the more I'm eager to start writing so who knows when the next chapter will be up by.**

**Back to the story though – Read, enjoy, and review. (It would make an awful great birthday present for me, don't you think? Haha.)**

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The remaining weeks left in July (which only really amounted to about two and a half) went by at a snail's pace for both Seth and Summer. Seth had tried numerous times to get in touch with Summer – calling her, texting her, emailing her, going over to Chad's apartment, trying to catch her at work, even sending over bouquets of flowers with notes that read, "_Please_ call me. I love you," only changing slightly in variation with each new note. Summer wouldn't have any of it. And even when Chad and Stephen tried to convince her to at least talk to him, she would shake her head fiercely and tell them that Seth was just going through a bit of a withdrawal period. That within a few weeks, he'd realize that what she had done was the right choice and he'd back off.

That still didn't stop Summer from letting a few tears slip every time she heard his voice through surprise visits or her voicemail, saw a message from him, or read the notes that were attached to the flowers.

Which were always White Lilies. Her all-time favorite.

Once August arrived, Ryan had finally convinced Seth to stop contacting Summer. He knew that if Summer was able to hold out this long from communicating in the slightest with Seth, then she really meant the break up. Seth had then decided to occupy his time finishing up his duties at Tankley & Sons, and quickly found he was no longer needed there after the first week in August.

So since nothing was keeping Seth back in L.A., he decided he'd just move back to Rhode Island early – hoping to find a year-long internship before all the other college students in the area came back for school and took them all.

Plus, Bethany was starting to hound Seth every day after she found out he and Summer had broken up. She had even tried to corner him in the laundry room where she _accidentally_ stumbled into Seth with her lips _somehow_ landing on his. Seth let her kiss her that time, but after the small and short laundry room make-out session was over, he instantly knew it was a mistake he wished he could take back. He thought he only did it out of revenge towards Summer, trying to give her what she wanted when she said she was breaking up with him so he could be happy with other girls. Seth soon realized, however, that he only kissed Bethany to try and pretend she was actually Summer and that everything was okay once again. Instead, everything was not okay when he opened his eyes and saw Bethany's determined blue eyes instead of Summer's warm, loving brown ones. Seth made a quick escape after this realization and ever since Bethany had been flirtatiously asking Seth for a date.

Seth was getting tired of refusing her and hiding around his apartment building and ignoring the knocks on his door so moving back to Providence early became an even more appealing idea.

Ryan thought this was a terrific idea too. He was in complete support of it and he even helped Seth move out of the apartment on August 12th and brought Seth to the Los Angeles International Airport on August 13th, which also happened to coincide with Summer's 20th birthday.

Ironically, Ryan got a call from Summer on August 14th.

Since Seth and Summer's break up almost a month earlier, Ryan had not spoken to Summer and neither had his girlfriend, Lana. He knew that with their break up would come awkward hang outs, but while Summer never tried to get a hold of him, he never tried to get a hold of Summer so their friendship immediately faded in that passing month's time.

Turns out Summer wasn't too keen on that, and so she called Ryan to go out to dinner the following night.

Ryan was preparing for awkward and uncomfortable silences and kept on making the mental note not to mention anything about Seth, or high school, or comic books, or video games, or dating, or… well, pretty much any subject that could possibly remind her of Seth. Which, as it turned out, only left the weather and politics.

He did not prepare, however, for the entire night to be filled with questions about Seth.

"So how is he?" "He's already moved out to Providence?" "Does he like the apartment there?" "Is he getting a job?" "Is he seeing anyone?"

Ryan's answers were simple and truthful - "Good." "Yes." "Loves it." "Trying to." "Absolutely not because he's still obsessed with you as much as you are still clearly obsessed with him."

Summer tried to rebuff that last statement but it was no use. It was clear to even a stranger that Summer Roberts was still in love with Seth Cohen.

Summer tried to explain herself. She tried to tell Ryan all the reasons she had had for breaking up with Seth, but she quickly found that all the reasons she thought she had seemed mindless and stupid now.

But she still wasn't ready to admit that to anyone. Even Ryan – the easiest person on the planet to talk to because he hardly ever interrupts and when he does it's worthwhile.

No wonder Seth always insisted on those Seth-Ryan times.

The dinner ended after a few hours of just sitting around, chatting – mostly about Seth – and reminiscing – mostly about Marissa. Even though Ryan would never say her name, he still talked of her warmly and Summer quickly realized what a good idea asking Ryan out to dinner was. Summer was glad she didn't let one of her few good friends go.

Ryan got her a cab and told her they should get together again sometime. Summer nodded in response and then asked for Lana's number so that maybe she could go out to dinner with her too. Although Ryan was slightly surprised, he gave her Lana's number and waved as Summer's cab drove down the busy street.

Ryan didn't let the diamond earrings he knew Seth had bought for her birthday, dropping them off at her workplace when she refused to see him, go unnoticed that night either.

Ryan decided not to tell Seth about his dinner outing with Summer because the very next day Seth called saying he found a very appealing and welcoming law firm only a block from his apartment and a fantastic comic book _and_ video game store right next door.

He was hugely ecstatic stating that he had already met a couple of the guys working in the store and was going out to a bar that night.

Ryan didn't want to ruin Seth's night by bringing up Summer. So he didn't.

While Seth was out at the bar with some newfound friends, Summer had invited Lana out for some ice cream.

Summer easily found something in Lana that she had been lacking lately – female companionship. Sure there were a number of girls she knew from Brown but over the summer months she hardly ever kept in touch with them. Plus, if she was to call them and tell them that she and Seth had broken up and that he was already back in Providence, they'd for sure send out a search crew to find him and try to convince him to date each of them.

They were immensely fun people, but not so great on the friend aspect of things.

Summer also spilled to Lana that she was having a difficult time living with Chad and Stephen. Mostly because the couch was only comfortable for a number of days before it got old, but partly because it was hard living with guys who didn't fully understand a female's needs and "times of the month." Lana instantly smiled brightly when Summer mentioned this and asked if Summer would move in with her for the last three weeks before she had to go back to Brown.

As it turned out Lana was getting a little lonely too in her apartment ever since her former roommate moved out to Chicago a few weeks before.

So Summer moved out of Chad's apartment (while Rex helped with her suitcases again, asking if she could still baby-sit baby Marissa for the remainder of the summer – which Summer had started doing the day after she moved into Chad's – because Rex and his wife, Melody, had no other prospects available – to which Summer enthusiastically nodded in response) the very next day and into Lana's, much to the shock of Ryan when he arrived to pick up his girlfriend and came in on a cucumber-melon masked face Summer in her pajamas sitting on the couch.

"Hey, Ryan! I don't know if Lana told you yet but I'm living here until I head back East! Isn't that awesome?"

Ryan didn't really respond because a body can only handle so many surprises and changes in one week.

Things slowly turned into routine but as Lana noticed from living with Summer and as Ryan continued to receive at least two phone calls a day from Seth, both Seth and Summer were missing the other way too much for either Ryan or Lana to handle.

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"Are you going out with Ryan tonight?" Summer asked Lana as she stepped out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, towel-drying her hair.

"Yeah. Why? Do you want to come?"

"No, no. I was just wondering. I mean, I'm heading back to Providence tomorrow and I just thought maybe we could hang out before I have to leave."

Lana smiled. "Well, Ryan and I are only going to see a movie and then I'll be back here around ten so we can go out to a club or something."

"Yeah," Summer smiled back, taking the towel from her hair and flinging it into the laundry basket. "I have to go see Chad anyway to say goodbye to him so I'll meet you back here at ten."

"Sounds good," Lana replied, grabbing her purse and a light jacket, "Have fun!"

"You too. Tell Ryan I said hi!" Summer yelled as Lana closed the door and Summer resumed getting ready amongst all the already-packed suitcases flooding Lana's apartment.

Summer had spent the past few days packing up all of her stuff, getting ready to go back to Rhode Island. She had just had the last day of work at Ceverely and even though she felt sad to be leaving such a great job and work experience, she couldn't help but feel overjoyed about the summer finally coming to an end. She hadn't been this happy to leave California since the summer after she graduated from high school. But that was for a whole different reason. That was so she could rid her memories of Marissa Cooper and start a new life.

This time she just wanted to get back into the same time zone as Seth.

Even if she knew she shouldn't want that at all.

Summer finished getting ready and decided to walk to Chad's apartment. It was a nice early September evening and it was her last night in Los Angeles. She wasn't going to waste it.

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"Summy!" Chad wrapped his arms around Summer's petite frame as soon as he opened his door. "I can't believe you're leaving me tomorrow! You're coming back here next summer, yes?"

Summer laughed. "I don't know yet. It depends what happens in Rhode Island this year."

"You mean if you and Seth get back together so that you'll have someone to share the rent with here because it's so expensive," Chad scoffed.

"No," Summer slid into the apartment. "I mean it depends upon what job opportunities are available here as opposed to there next summer."

Chad grunted shutting the door.

"Where's Stephen?" Summer asked innocently, trying to avoid any talk of Seth.

"He went to visit his mummy in San Fran for the weekend," Chad answered and then suddenly clasped his hands together. "Oh! We should go out tonight! Celebrate your last night on the town!"

"I'm going out with Lana at ten. You want to come? We're going to a club to get completely shit-faced and dance like idiots."

"Totally up my alley," Chad laughed. "Can't wait. In the meantime, do you want to pre-game it?"

Summer smirked. "You know what pre-game means?"

Chad pulled out a bottle of vodka and some cranberry juice. "I know it's a sports metaphor and that people use it to mean 'drink before the party,'" Chad used air-quotes. "You want some?"

"I'm not a girl to turn down a drink," Summer giggled as Chad poured a bit of vodka into a shot glass of cranberry juice and handed it to her.

"Drink up! I still have another bottle in here to dispose of. A toast! To Summer going back to Rhode Island!" Chad held up his drink.

"To me!" Summer squealed.

"May all her wishes and fantasies come true in the smallest state in the country!"

"I'll drink to that!" Summer and Chad clinked their glasses together and knocked back the shot.

Summer was determined to have an unforgettable last night in Los Angeles.


	16. The Wild Night Out

**Disclaimer: Nope.**

**A/N: So I don't really have much to say. Thanks for all the birthday wishes. Those made me smile. :) Hope you like this chapter – I really tried with this one because I wanted a lot of my readers to be satisfied with it.**

**If you do or don't like it – let me know! Read, enjoy, & review!**

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"Summer?" Lana questioned into the phone. "Summer, where are you? It's 10:30 and you're not at the apartment."

Loud noise boomed in Summer's ears as she held her pink razor phone to her ear unsteadily and tried to balance a drink in her other hand. "I'm pre-gaming it!"

"Pre-gaming it?" Lana yelled into her phone. "Summer where are you?"

"At umm… hold on, I'm not sure where…" Lana heard muffled noises until Summer's voice came through again. "Three Clubs. It's on Vine Street. Three blocks down, on the right corner," Summer yelled back into the phone. "Come meet us here!"

Summer hung up instantly and Lana looked at her phone bewildered. "Us?"

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Summer and Chad didn't last very long in Chad's apartment, drinking by themselves. Chad deemed it "embarrassing" to spend Summer's last night in Los Angeles in an apartment, drinking their two souls into oblivion. Summer suggested going to a bar for the remaining few hours to continue pre-gaming it with other people around so they didn't seem like such lost, pathetic souls. Chad instantly agreed.

Somehow they ended up at one of LA's hottest clubs for the non-celebrities, Three Clubs, drinking and dancing the night away.

Sometime, after 9pm, Summer was already feeling tipsy and loving it as she moved her whole body to the rhythm of the DJ's music. A few guys had made their way over to her, trying to dance up against her body in a provocative manner, but Chad had quickly shooed them away as he danced with her instead.

When Lana had arrived, it took a little while before she found Summer but when she did she was shocked by the appearance in front of her. There was Summer; with her arms snaked around some random guy's neck and the random guy's hands wandered around to her back and slid down to her ass, pulling her closer and bringing his lips to hide in her neck. Summer's head leaned back, giving him better access and just as Lana was about to stomp right over there and stop the scene playing out before her eyes, Chad came running up to Lana.

"Hey! You made it!" Chad seemed a little past tipsy himself as he held two drinks in his hand. "Do you want one of these? I'll go get another!"

Chad began to run off again, but Lana grabbed his arm. "Who's the guy?"

"What?" Chad asked, genuinely confused.

"Who's the guy Summer's dancing with?" Lana asked this time, getting a little annoyed. This was definitely not the night of celebratory Lana was planning on.

Lana pointed over to Summer and the guy and Chad looked over, sudden shock waving through him. "Shit." Chad immediately ran over to Summer as Lana quickly followed behind.

"Summer!" Chad bellowed through the crowd. "Summer! Stop!"

Summer continued grinding with the stranger, not hearing Chad's shouts, as one of the stranger's hands moved from her ass, up her chest, and then to cup her face. Before Chad and Lana were able to reach them, he had begun kissing her and was swiftly leading her off the floor without disconnecting their mouths.

With the crowd thickening in the middle of the dance floor, Chad and Lana were not able to spot her before the random guy had led her off and out of view.

"Shit! Fuck!" Chad yelled, still gripping his drinks, which were now being spilt all over due to other random people dancing knocking into him.

"Where did she go?" Lana asked loudly to Chad. "Even though she's drunk, you don't think she'll do anything, do you?"

Chad sighed loudly, suddenly becoming well aware of the situation. "I think she's horny, drunk, and missing Seth. What do _you_ think?"

Lana held her hand to her head and shook it, closing her eyes, hoping that when she opened them Summer would be standing in front of her. When she opened them, all she saw was Chad and plenty of other slutty bimbos hooking up with wannabe jocks – and no Summer in sight. "Come on. We have to look for her." Lana grabbed Chad's arm once again, this time more forcefully causing one of the drinks to spill almost completely, while he took the one in his other hand and gulped it in one swig.

He needed another buzz for the way this night was going.

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The random guy had led Summer off to another part of the club, a less crowded area, and found them both a rounded booth that was already occupied by another less-than-private couple.

Or random hookup.

It was hard to tell in clubs like these.

Summer was clearly out of it. She knew she was kissing someone and that he was touching her skin in all exposed areas, but she couldn't comprehend who it was. She wanted it to be Seth. She wanted it to be Seth so bad that in her drunken state of mind that's who she thought it was. That that's whose hand was starting to sneak up under her skirt, stroking the skin on her thigh as the fingers etched their way up to her underwear.

Summer leaned her head back against the back of the booth as the guy kissed her neck, while one hand continued its journey under her skirt and the other slid the tank top strap off of her shoulder.

"Seth…" Summer whispered breathily as the guy began placing kisses on her shoulder. "Seth, I love you so much."

The guy, upon hearing the name 'Seth,' stopped his mouth and his hands' separate journeys. "No, my name's Sam."

"Seth, I love you. I didn't mean anything I said before. I love you," Summer mumbled as she brought her lips crashing upon his.

The guy, Sam, pulled back, "No, no. My name's Sam."

"I don't want to break up. I want to be with you _forever_." Summer's head fell against Sam's shoulder as she collapsed into tears suddenly. "I want to _marry_ you."

Sam all of a sudden realized maybe he had picked out the wrong girl for a random, meaningless hookup.

"I… uh… I'm not Seth. I'm Sam." Sam lifted Summer's head from his shoulder and then made eye contact with her. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Summer smiled brightly, forgetting the tears she had just been crying seconds before, crashing her lips upon his once again and forcing her tongue in his mouth, to which Sam didn't fully disengage. Summer then pulled back instantly. "_You're_ my boyfriend, Seth!"

Sam's face etched in horror. Uh oh. Definitely no meaningless sex to be found in this girl. Not when she kept calling him Seth _and_ was already referring to him as her boyfriend.

"No, no," Sam pulled away, trying to get out of the booth. "No, I'm not your boyfriend. It was nice to meet you, though." As Sam continued trying to escape the booth and Summer, a loud slap came to the side of his face. Sam looked up, holding his hand to his cheek, to see a stern looking short-haired brunette fuming while she stood next to a slightly taller blonde-haired male.

"What the fuck was that for?" Sam roared.

"Don't hit him!" Summer yelled at Lana.

"For taking advantage of my best friend!" Lana screamed back at the stranger angrily.

Summer's face immediately softened at Lana's choice of words. "I'm your best friend?" Summer's eyes began to water once again.

Lana ignored Summer for the time being and focused her attention back on the guy who began speaking again, much angrier this time. "Actually, I was just leaving. Your _best friend_ has some attachment issues I'm not looking for."

"Seth, don't leave me! I told you I love you!" Summer screamed. Finally the other couple in the booth came up for air to at last see what all the commotion around them was about, squinting their eyes as if they were adjusting them to the dim light.

"See?!" The guy bellowed, as he pointed down to Summer. "She's _in love_ with me! We haven't even had sex yet! And she keeps calling me Seth!" He turned his head back to Summer. "_My name is Sam_!"

Lana stood with her hands on her hips. "Hey, asshole," Sam turned his head back to Lana, "Her boyfriend's name is Seth. You're taking advantage of a girl already in a very committed relationship. I think you should probably get lost before he sees you because he's a pro-wrestler and I don't think he'll be afraid to show you how professional he is when he sees you exchanging wads of spit with his girlfriend."

"Believe me, I'm leaving. And not just because of that," Sam scoffed, indicating he wasn't looking for drama, as he walked hurriedly away from the booth and back into the crowd.

Summer laughed. "Cohen can't beat anyone up. He's too scrawny."

Chad leaned down to Summer's eye level. "Summer, we should probably get you back. You've had enough fun for the night."

"No!" Summer yelled again. "We can't leave without Seth!"

Chad looked up to Lana for help and Lana rolled her eyes in response and then grabbed Summer's arm, steadying her as she stood up.

"Lana, you'll help me, right? You're my best friend too you know so you'll help. I _need_ Cohen," Summer whimpered.

Lana held onto Summer's right arm as Chad held onto her left. "Of course we'll help. But Seth's back at the apartment already. We have to meet him there." Lana lied to calm Summer down.

Summer smiled back at Lana. "I love him."

"I know, sweetie," Lana replied.

Summer turned towards Chad. "I don't want him to date anyone else."

"Summy, it's okay," Chad told her as they exited the club, walking back up the three blocks to Summer and Lana's apartment.

"It's not!" Summer yelled again, releasing herself from Lana and Chad's grips. "He thinks I hate him. I don't really. I don't even _not_ like him. I just want him happy. Guys, do you think he's happy?"

"He won't be happy until we get you back to the apartment," Lana tried to soothe Summer but Summer shook her head, stopping in mid-step.

"No, no. I mean, _do you think he's happy_?" Summer stressed.

This time it was Chad to speak up. "He's happy when he's with you, Summy. He loves you."

Summer smiled as she began walking again, with both Lana and Chad reaching for her arms to balance her once again. "I love him more than me. And guys," Summer paused again to take a glance between Lana and Chad, "I love me _a lot_."

Both Lana and Chad couldn't help the smiles that came to their faces and Summer's face mirrored their own unknowingly. "Oh, we certainly know that, Summy," Chad laughed.

"I think about marrying him," Summer continued ignoring Chad's comment and Lana's shrill laugh that followed. "I think about having two girls and a boy. But not in that order. I want the boy first. Cohen would be so cute with a baby boy. And I know I hate those stupid comics he reads and those really annoying video games he plays instead of focusing on me but I really want him and our baby boy to do those things together. And I want the baby boy to look exactly like Cohen because it will look cute in pictures. And I think Cohen's cute. Don't you guys think Cohen's cute?"

"He sure is, Summy," Chad smiled. "He's super cute and he loves you."

"He loves me," Summer sighed dreamily, albeit a little drunkenly. "And I can _totally_ tell when he does that thing with his tongue on my neck -"

Lana halted causing both Summer and Chad to stop and look over at her. "Okay, no details. I know you're drunk and overemotional over your break up -"

"Break up?" Summer shrieked. "There's no break up anymore! Cohen and I love each other."

Lana rolled her eyes and tried to continue walking with her arm still linked with Summer's, "Okay, Summer. There's no break up."

"Might want to inform Seth though," Chad muttered to himself.

"Seth knows," Summer replied confidently, overhearing Chad's quiet comment. "He knows this break up isn't real. We'll be back together when I get back to Providence tomorrow."

"Okay," Chad answered nonchalantly as they finally reached Lana and Summer's apartment. "Alright, well, can you take it from here?" Chad asked Lana, switching the subject.

"Yeah, I can," Lana replied. "Thanks for your help."

"No problem," Chad smiled and then kissed Summer's cheek. "Good luck, Summy. I'll call you in a few days."

Summer nodded and waved as Lana pushed her gently into the apartment building. "Bye Chad!"

"Chad's a good guy, isn't he? He's one of my favorites," Summer talked as Lana led her up the stairs. "He's not a Ryan and he's definitely not a Cohen but he's good… Lana?"

Lana looked up at Summer before searching for her keys in her purse, "Yeah?"

"He'll forgive me, right?"

Lana looked back up at Summer from her purse to see she had tears forming in her eyes. She knew immediately that the 'he' she was speaking of was Seth. "Oh, sweetie. Of course he will."

"I didn't mean to do it. Any of it. I just wanted him to be happy," Summer mumbled as the tears fell down her cheeks.

Lana quickly opened the door and led Summer in as Summer collapsed on the couch, soaking one of the couch pillows with her tears.

"Sweetie, it's going to work out. Shhh, Summer. It's okay. Here, I'm gonna get you some water. Just calm down, sweetie," Lana rubbed her back and then got up to retrieve some water from the refrigerator, coming straight back to Summer's side. "Here," Lana nudged her gently, "You need to sit up."

Summer sat up slowly and took the water bottle from Lana, chugging the water. She then leaned against the couch and looked at Lana. "You know," Summer began, "The only reason I broke up with him was because Bethany kept saying all these things. And I believed her. I shouldn't have though. She's such a skank."

Lana didn't bother questioning Summer about who Bethany was and instead continued nodding and rubbing her arm in comfort, letting Summer continue.

"It's just, all those things she said kept popping into my head and then Seth was saying things and I just didn't think he was happy. We were arguing so much. And there were all these girls. Do you think he still has other girls?"

"I don't think he ever had any girls except for you. Seth's a one woman type of guy," Lana smiled.

Summer reciprocated the smile. "See, I know that. I do. I just got scared. I wanted to be the one to leave him before he left me. But he won't do that, will he?"

Lana shook her head, still smiling, "Not a chance."

"Because he loves me, right?"

Lana nodded again.

"I just wanted to fix things before we hurt each other. Or he hurt me."

"I know Summer," Lana told her, "But I heard this saying once and I've always remembered it: 'Destiny is often found on the road you take to avoid it.' Which I take to meaning in this situation that even though you tried to fix things by ending your hopes for a future with Seth, you've realized, through avoiding it, that to fix things all you needed to do was _be_ with Seth."

"You know, you're good at this," Summer switched subjects. "You give good advice."

Lana laughed. "Well, thank you, Summer. I try."

"When Cohen and I get married I want you to be my maid of honor. Will you be my maid of honor?"

"Summer…" Lana sighed.

"No, really! I mean, I always said Marissa was gonna be mine but she died and I don't have anyone else. I mean, there's Kaitlin but she's such a pot head she'd probably forget or something. And truthfully, you've been a better friend to me for the past month than Coop was to me all through high school. She was really boy crazy. And she was _so_ into Ryan – it was, like, sickening. Not that you want to hear that or anything cause he's _totally_ your boyfriend now and he loves you lots and all that was so high school… What was I talking about again?"

Lana let a little laugh escape her lips, followed by an unnoticeable eye roll at drunk Summer. "Your wedding day with Seth."

"Right. I love him, Lana," Summer sighed dreamily and then after a beat, "Hey! You should be my maid of honor!"

Lana laughed outright, thinking how ridiculous Summer was being with her now repetitive statements. Summer gave her a slightly horrified look, as if trying to decipher what was so funny. Lana's laughs eased a bit and she let a smile play upon her lips before she spoke up again. "Absolutely. I want you to be mine too, Summer," Lana told her sincerely.

Summer giggled again, with her head starting to throb, "Oh, this is awesome! But, my head is really starting to hurt so I better go to bed."

"Yeah, me too. You know," Lana started as they both made their way into their rooms, "This is the last night you'll be my roommate."

"That's really sad!" Summer squealed. "I'm going to miss you!"

"I'm going to miss you too!" Lana replied as they both went to hug each other.

"Okay, my head really kills," Summer pulled back.

"Yeah, night roommie."

"We should have _totally_ called each other that more often."

"Better late than never."

Summer smiled, walking into her room. "Night roommie." And Summer immediately buckled onto the bed, letting all the events and emotions of the night slip her mind as she faded into sleep.


	17. The Dawning of Realization

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

**A/N: I had to finish this chapter and put it up today. I just had to. I finished watching the premiere on the internet (you know, that promotion thing FOX is doing) and I just wanted to write this up immediately. Hopefully that's a good thing and will happen more often as new OC episodes air.**

**As always – thanks so much for the reviews. They always put me in a good mood! Secondly, I don't know why people didn't receive alerts for the updated chapter last week. Or received them late. I didn't receive any reviews in my e-mail up until yesterday and even then, I only got a few (so if I didn't send you a message back – that's why) if that makes you guys feel any better! Hopefully the site's figured it out and that you got an alert for this one. **

**Also, the italicized bit in this chapter is a flashback in the form of a dream. Cause, you know, I like to expand my horizons and I am really kicking myself for not writing anything fluffy in awhile.**

**It's getting down to the wire, guys! Only a few more chapters before this story is FINISHED!**

**Read, enjoy!, and review!**

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Summer woke up to the faint but progressively more familiar smell of coffee filling her senses. She sat up, her head pounding, as she saw Lana walk by her room holding a fresh cup of dark coffee.

"Lana?" Summer tried to shout, without letting her head throb even more than it currently was. "Lana!"

"Yeah?" Lana turned back around and peeked into Summer's room, which was almost completely vacant now that she was moving cross-country in a matter of eight hours.

"Can you get me some aspirin? It's on my dresser. My head is killing me. Did I drink a lot last night?"

Lana laughed as she reached for the aspirin, bringing to Summer. "Sum, I wouldn't be shocked if you had half of all the alcohol in the entire bar."

Summer scrunched her face, causing wrinkles of confusion to fill her forehead. "We went to a bar? I thought me and Chad just hung out at his apartment."

Lana laughed harder this time as she handed Summer her coffee so she could swallow the pills, adding sarcastically, "Oh yeah – you, Chad, and some guy named Sam hung at Chad's apartment, which to many of us is also known as Three Clubs."

"I didn't do anything stupid did I? Please tell me Chad didn't let me do anything stupid," Summer pleaded.

"Well, by the time I got there you were making out with this Sam character in a booth and he got angry at you for calling him Seth."

"I did not!" Summer half-squealed, half-groaned.

"Oh yeah," Lana snorted with laughter. "Yeah, you did. You kept saying you loved him and you were gonna marry him and he kept trying to tell you his name was Sam. It was pretty clear he was only looking for a one-night stand. Actually, the situation's rather amusing now that I think back on it."

Summer groaned, handing the coffee back to Lana, as she fell back onto the bed holding her head. "It's not funny."

"Is to. But it doesn't matter. I told him to get lost, which he was more than glad to do when he realized you were talking marriage, and Chad and I brought you back here."

"Was that it?"

"Well, that and the fact that you've been clearly hiding your still relatively intense feelings for Seth."

"I don't have intense feelings for Seth. We broke up."

"Uh huh. Well, according to your proclamations last night, you and Seth aren't really broken up."

"I was drunk."

"You were truthful."

"I made out with another guy."

"Who you thought was Seth," Lana retorted.

Summer grunted again and closed her eyes. "I only have a few hours until I have to leave so I'm just gonna try and lay here and get rid of this massive headache before the flight."

Lana sighed loudly and got up from the bed, taking a sip of her coffee, walking towards the door. Right before she shut it she turned around. "Summer, look. I know you're in this huge denial phase that you're over Seth and that you're moving on and all that. But the thing is, you're not. And that's perfectly fine because, according to Ryan, neither is Seth. You two are both wallowing -"

" – I'm not wallowing -" Summer interrupted but Lana continued, ignoring her.

" – And not being with each other for stupid reasons. And I said this to you last night, but seeing as you don't remember anything I don't think you remember it. 'Destiny is often found on the road you take to avoid it.'" Lana paused, waiting for Summer to reply and when she didn't, Lana sighed again. "Just be happy, Summer. Don't worry about other people – like Seth – being happy. Cause, truth be told, he already was." Lana quietly exited the room, closing the door behind her and Summer turned on her side, letting the tears flow freely from her eyes, causing her head to throb even more.

If it wasn't clear before than it sure was now. Summer wasn't happy – at all.

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"So you'll call as soon as you land, right?" Lana hugged Summer for the fourth time in the airport, right before Summer had to leave to go through security.

"Absolutely."

"Because I don't want to be waiting around thinking your plane crashed."

Summer laughed and hugged Lana again. "I'll call you. Swear."

Both girls smiled as they parted and Summer grabbed Ryan in a hug. "Have fun back at Berkeley."

"Have fun back East," Ryan told her. "And say hi to Seth for me. You know… if you see him."

Summer let go and nodded casually as she stood back, grabbing her suitcase. "Okay, I'll see you guys during Winter Break."

"Bye Summer," Ryan waved.

Lana bounded towards Summer for another hug. "I seriously never thought it would be this hard to say goodbye to you."

Summer, Ryan, and Lana all laughed and Summer replied, "Believe me, I know. I didn't even like you when you first started dating Ryan."

Lana's face fell. "Really?"

Summer and Ryan laughed as Summer walked towards the airport security. "Bye guys!"

Both Ryan and Lana waved goodbye one last time as Summer went through security and got lost in the sea of people to trying to find their gates.

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Summer sat in her 17A seat, staring out the small window onto the tarmac. It was going to be a long flight with no one to talk to. She always had Seth to cheer her up about heading East to lots of cold weather and rain but now she just had some fifty year old, business type man sitting in the seat next to her, already lightly snoring. She didn't even have a shoulder to rest her head on and she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep in a lean back position. She'd have no one to laugh with at the redundant, but necessary, safety precaution videos and no extra peanut bag that Seth would give her because he claimed he hated peanuts. (Even though she knew he didn't – he always insisted that when brownies were to be made, they had to be made with nuts in them, saying they gave the brownies "flavoring.")

Summer sighed and looked over the aisles to scan the other passengers. A lot of them were business aged but many of them looked college aged, probably heading back to their own school for the new school year. Also, a good number of the college aged co-eds had people traveling with them; whether their companions were friends, significant others, or family, almost everyone around Summer's age had someone. Summer had no one. And for some reason, for the past day or two, that fact was becoming stronger and more obvious with each passing minute.

She really missed Seth. And from the sounds of it, her drunken self really missed Seth too. It was hard going from having a package deal of a best friend and boyfriend to having nothing at all. As much as it hurt her to hear things about Seth from Ryan, or to overhear conversations between Ryan and Lana about her and Seth, she kind of relished in it, finding some kind of normalcy in the entire situation. It was like he was still around and she didn't have to miss him. Well, miss him _as much_.

'Destiny is often found on the road you take to avoid it.' Lana's wise sediment from earlier was ringing in her head as the plane detached itself from the airport and began gliding gracefully along the tarmac. Summer had spent the majority of the morning repeating that phrase in her mind and each time it got louder and clearer. She was avoiding destiny. She was avoiding Seth. She was avoiding her future.

Summer leaned back in the headrest as the plane took off. Her eyes began drooping shut as the televisions behind each seat flickered on with some recent Adam Sandler movie. She didn't have the energy to realize her biggest mistake was making her the unhappiest she'd been since her best friend's death two years earlier.

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_"Sum," Seth whispered, rubbing her arm delicately as they lay in the small twin-sized dorm bed. "You have class in, like, twenty minutes."_

_Summer smiled without opening her eyes. "Don't care."_

"_I thought studies were on the top of your priority list?"_

_Summer smirked and opened her eyes, revealing a dazed, jovial looking Seth hovering over her body, holding himself up on the bed by the palms of his hands that were resting on each side of her body. "That was until you came." Summer tapped his nose. "Now **you're** on the top of the priority list."_

"_Well, I definitely like the new priority list better." Seth leaned down, capturing her lips with his and slightly grazing his tongue against her closed lips. He mumbled into her mouth words of love as Summer smiled, realizing that her freshman English lit class would teach her nothing in comparison to what Seth had been able to teach her since he had been a part of her life._

_She never would have believed that she would be the type of girl that would end up at an Ivy League school due to her boyfriend being her biggest supporter and most helpful pillar of strength. Summer Roberts also would have never have guessed that she would have been traveling to the East Coast, away from all warm weather she had both known and loved, to focus her entire time on studying rather than finding an exciting party, filled with alcohol and random guys to hook up with. In addition, she would have never guessed that after becoming prom queen she would become this complete shut-in, refusing to leave the dorm room without her best accessory – her boyfriend._

_Which was probably the biggest shock of all – that her boyfriend was still Seth Cohen. And that he loved her. And that she loved him back._

"_Seth," Summer moaned his name as he began leaving traces of his kisses down her neck and onto her collarbone._

"_Hmmhmm?" Seth mumbled in response._

"_Are you gonna marry me?" Summer whispered, not fully realizing what she had said until she felt Seth's lips leave her skin and his eyes stare intently into her own._

"_I mean… well, I didn't mean…" Summer inarticulated as Seth brought his lips back to hers in a heated and passionate kiss._

_Seth pulled back breathlessly, cupping her face in his left hand as his right balanced his body above hers. "Yeah, I'm gonna marry you."_

_Summer's smile widen and she giggled as Seth began kissing her ear, tickling her in the process._

"_I'm gonna marry you, Summer Roberts," Seth breathed into Summer's ear, causing another fit of laughter from Summer's mouth. "I love you."_

_Summer pulled her head away in flirtatious fashion so Seth couldn't tickle her ear anymore. She grabbed his face as he grabbed hers once again and she just smiled up at him as he smiled down at her. Both of them erupted into a convulsion of giggles and Summer stopped suddenly, putting her finger to Seth's mouth to momentarily silence him. "I **wanna** marry you, Seth Cohen."_

_Seth's smile widen, as did Summer's, and he tried take Summer's still finger and bring it into his mouth, but she teased him, removing her finger and then bringing it back, repeating the process a few times over. "That's very good to hear. Don't want to think you're just using me for the sex."_

"_You make me happy, Cohen."_

"_You make me happiest, Summer."_

_Summer snaked her arms around Seth's neck and let her fingers play in the curls of his hair as she pulled his familiar lips down towards her increasingly dry ones._

_Even though Summer Roberts was only eighteen and she had only finished a single semester of college, she knew no one could make her happier than Seth Cohen did or ever had._

_And it was nice to know he was on the same page._

Summer jolted awake as the plane hit a little turbulence and the pilot came over the speaker saying they just ran into a bit of bad weather and were bringing the plane to higher altitude to smooth out the flight. Tears began slipping down from her eyes unknowingly as she felt the plane shake.

The man next to her looked over and spoke quietly to her. "Hey, it's okay. This kind of turbulence is normal."

Summer nodded wordlessly as he continued. "Good. Just wanted to make sure you weren't worrying about not getting to say goodbye to your loved ones."

Summer gave him a faint smile and looked back out towards the window, thinking about the dream she just had and the words the man sitting next to her had just spoken, finally realizing she needed Seth back in order for her life to make sense once again. She loved him. She was being stupid. _She was gonna marry him_.

Summer flipped open her phone immediately to check the time. Only two hours and forty-three minutes until she was back on Rhode Island soil, telling him her eager thoughts.

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As soon as Summer had landed and retrieved her luggage, she grabbed a taxi and as she was driving towards the Brown University campus, she dialed her former roommate's number, telling her she was quickly dropping her suitcases off with her, but only for a little while, saying she had some stuff to take care of.

Her former roommate, Callie, questioned her. "Why don't you just leave it with Seth?"

"Because that's what I'm taking care of."

Before Callie could question that answer, Summer hung up her phone, becoming aware that she was only a minute or two away from the campus. Summer hopped out, asking the taxi driver to stay put for a moment because she had another stop to make, and then letting both suitcases trail behind her as she quickly approached the dorm building she knew Callie was staying in for the year. Callie was already out front, sending Summer confused looks, as she told Callie, "Can you just take these up the elevator for me? I really have to go."

"Where are you going?"

"To Seth's apartment," Summer yelled back to Callie.

"Aren't you living with Seth this year?" Callie continued yelling as Summer reached the taxicab once again.

"I hope so!" With that, Summer hopped in and gave the taxi driver the new address and they sped off, leaving a befuddled Callie in their wake.

When they arrived, Summer's heart sped up but her legs slowed down. She had raced all the way from the airport, to Brown's campus, and then to this apartment and now she felt knots tying in the pit of her stomach, halting her from making any fast movements.

Summer walked slowly up the walkway, looking between the piece of paper and the apartment door. The same number appeared in both places: 17.

She was at Seth's apartment. The apartment both she and Seth were supposed to share for their upcoming junior year of college.

Summer shoved the paper back into her pocket as she reached up to knock on the door.

It was now or never and Summer had never been more scared in her entire life.

The door opened and a stunned looking Seth stared at Summer, a bag of chips in his hand with some of those chips, at that moment, being devoured in his mouth.

"Hi, Cohen."

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**A/N: I apologize for the cliffhanger. Actually, I don't really. Haha.**

**Look out for more. ;)**


	18. The Confrontation

**Disclaimer: I feel like this part is probably no longer needed in this story because you should know by now that I'm not Josh Schwartz and that I don't have any affiliation with "The OC."**

**A/N: My actual note is at the end of this chapter. I don't want to keep you guys in suspense too long with an opening note so – yeah… here's the awaited chapter!**

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"Hi, Cohen."

Seth stood there agape, the bag of chips still in his hand, not knowing if he was experiencing a mirage or a miracle.

"Cohen?" Summer stepped forward, more confidence coming to her voice. "Are you okay?"

Summer reached up to touch his face but he pulled away, jolting himself from his daze. "What're you doing here?"

"School starts Monday," Summer smiled and answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Seth shook his head. "No, I know that. What are you doing _here_?"

"Oh," Summer nodded faintly, realizing he wasn't going to make this easy on her. "I came to see you. I've missed you."

"Ah -" Seth started but was cut off by the short, bubbly blonde who – out of the blue – appeared behind Seth and put her hand on his shoulder to see who he was talking to.

In translation to Summer, that short, bubbly blonde bitch just put her hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. Or soon-to-be-boyfriend's shoulder. Or ex-boyfriend. Or on-a-break boyfriend. Hell, Summer didn't even know what Seth was at this point because he wasn't reacting very well to her surprise appearance.

"What's going on out here?" the girl asked.

Seth turned towards her, putting his hand on her arm to stop her from coming any further out the door. "I'm just talking with a friend for a minute. I'll be right back in." From the looks Summer was shooting, a rage blackout could appear any minute and he didn't want his new friend to be the target.

The girl didn't take notice of Seth's warning eyes and decided to introduce herself to Summer. "Hi, I'm Lisa. I work with Seth at the comic book and video game store down the street." Lisa extended her hand to shake Summer's but Summer ignored it, instead turning her gaze back over to Seth.

"You're working at a comic book and video game store?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Ryan told me you came here early to try getting an internship before all the other college students came back into town."

Seth nodded. "I did."

"Then why the hell are you working at a comic book and video game store?" Summer shouted. The girl retreated back into the apartment, noticing it probably wasn't the best time to ask questions or pose introductions.

"Because I couldn't find one that would let me start immediately and I needed some way to pay for this apartment seeing as I was down a roommate!" Seth bellowed back.

Summer winced inwardly. That was definitely a jab on her part since she was the reason he was down that much needed roommate.

"I'm sorry," Summer backed down, lowering her voice.

"Yeah," Seth snorted. "About what exactly?"

"Everything."

"Well, as much as that narrows it down, Summer, you're gonna have to specify a bit more," Seth replied bitingly.

"Cohen, I really am sorry. I didn't know what -"

Just then two guys appeared behind Summer, interrupting her. Both were about Seth's height, the second one maybe an inch shorter, wearing screened tees and their hair falling in front of their faces. Each were carrying six-packs of beer and strolling up the walkway towards Seth's apartment.

The first, taller one was the interrupter, "Got the good beer, Cali-boy!" He held up the beer to showcase it.

The second, shorter one was beaming as well, holding his two six-packs and noticed Summer's appearance. "Who's this one? She new?"

The guy looked her up and down and then winked at her. Summer shot him a look of disgust, "Ew, who are you?"

"I think I asked the question first, honey," the guy slid up next to her, slinking his arm around her shoulder.

"Hey, Nick, back off," Seth warned him.

"Whoa," Nick held his hands, still holding the beer, up in defense, "Didn't know she was taken."

"She's not," Seth told him coldly, not making eye contact with Summer.

"I'm not?" Summer asked incredulously.

"No," Seth's eyes reached Summer's stunned gaze. "No, you're not."

"Cool, Sour Cream and Onion chips!" The taller guy, who was oblivious to the icy situation, walked past Summer and up onto the steps, taking a handful of chips from Seth's bag and then just taking the entire bag altogether.

"Dude, Gabe, you need to learn some manners!" Nick followed the taller guy, Gabe, past Seth and into the apartment.

Summer, who had yet to break eye contact with Seth, did so when she heard other female voices. She looked over Seth's shoulder and saw two more girls, in addition to Lisa, running up to Nick and Gabe. They each grabbed a bottle of beer and found places on Seth's couch.

"What is this? Like, a comic-con orgy?" Summer asked angrily.

"No, it's the world premiere of all of the Batman movies in high definition, with no commercials and never before seen footage on cable TV."

Summer laughed sardonically, "Doesn't sound too different to me!"

"Why does it matter what I do, Summer? _You_ broke up with _me_!"

"Dude, you were dating her?" Nick's voice boomed, causing both Seth and Summer's heads to turn towards him. "Way to go, Cali-boy – she's fucking hott. Hotter than Jennifer Garner in 'Elecktra.' And dude, she was hott." Nick slapped Gabe's arm for emphasis.

"Ow, man," Gabe rubbed his arm lightly but nodded in response. "But yeah, Jennifer Garner's definitely a ten."

"Thanks," Summer replied, smiling towards them and then returning her gaze to Seth. "Listen, I really want to talk to you."

"So now you want to talk?" Seth scoffed, crossing his arms across his chest in an over-exaggerated manner. "It's been two months! Two months of me trying to get in touch with you in any way possible. Trying to get you to just give me _three seconds_ to talk to you!"

"Seth…" Summer pleaded, "_Please_."

"Only if you'll tell me the real reason why you left. And don't give me any of that 'You weren't happy' crap," Seth held up his hands to demonstrate air-quotes, "Cause I'm not buying it."

"I thought you needed someone else. I thought you _wanted_ someone else."

"Summer," Seth half-sighed and half-grunted. "If I _wanted_ someone else I would have _been_ with someone else."

"I know -"

Seth wouldn't let her finish. "It wasn't for you to decide. It was my choice. And my choice had always been you. Not anyone else."

"I didn't want you to be miserable with me."

"Fucking Christ, Summer!" Seth yelled. "I have never been miserable with you! I wanted to marry you! How do you not understand that?"

"Marriage, man?" Nick asked loudly, interrupting Seth and Summer's conversation again. "Dude, aren't you only twenty? It's a little early."

Seth turned towards Nick, "Exactly! That's how much I loved her!" Seth turned back to Summer, seeing tears in her eyes, "That's how much I loved you!"

Summer winced slightly. _Loved_. Past tense. That certainly stung.

"I didn't know that!" Summer shouted through her tears. "I didn't know!"

Seth shook his head and closed his eyes briefly before opening them and looking back at Summer, uttering quietly, "How?"

"How what?" Summer sniffed.

"How did you not know how much I loved you?" Seth questioned her, keeping his voice quiet. "How did you not know that all I ever did was for you and for the future I was planning on having with you?"

"I…" Summer stuttered, "I… I did. I do. I love you." With that, Summer flung herself at Seth, colliding her lips with his and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Seth didn't react back to her kiss and instead pushed her shoulders away.

"Stop it, Summer. You can't solve every issue with sex."

"You think that's what I want?" Summer asked in disbelief. "You think that's the only reason why I'm here?"

"Well, isn't it? And isn't it also because you don't want to be seen as the 'bad guy;' the one who everybody hates? You just don't want anyone to hate you, Summer. I think that's why you're here. Not because you're sorry or because you love me, but because you don't want to walk around this Earth thinking that someone hates you. But don't worry, Summer. I don't hate you. So you can just go back to Brown and find another guy to worship you so you can step all over his heart," Seth told her truthfully as he attempted to shut the door in her face, his words spitting bitingly from his mouth.

Summer reached her arms out immediately, pushing the door completely open once again. "Seth! That's not it at all! How could you even think that? I'm in love you!"

"You broke up with me, Summer! You don't just pack up and move out on someone you're in love with!" Seth snapped back.

Summer sighed, closing her eyes briefly to gather herself before she launched into extreme pleading mode – a mode she wasn't completely familiar with when it came to Seth Cohen. "Even though it's really fucking hard to break up and lose someone you had such a close physical connection with – amazing sex included," Summer whispered, " – it's even fucking harder to lose your best friend. Cohen, you're my best friend. I can't lose that. And I don't want to. I'm not being stupid anymore. I love you and I really, _really_ do not want you to date that stupid whore," Summer finished, pointing to the girl in Seth's apartment, who looked on and then, noticing Summer's finger aiming towards her, turned, striking up random conversation with her two friends seated on the other side of her.

"She's not a whore, Summer."

Summer grunted and crossed her arms. "She sure looks it."

"Stop it. You have no right to just come barging in here telling me who I can and can't hang out with."

"I didn't _barge_ in here," Summer mocked Seth, "I knocked. You answered. Simple as that."

"Simple as that? Are you crazy? Why do you insist on jerking me around like this?" Seth yelled.

Summer sighed and her voice got quieter, "Cohen, I love you. Please don't make this whole making up thing harder than it has to be."

This time it was Seth's turn to grunt, "Who said we were making up?"

Summer stood there stunned, looking sadly to the ground, realization flooding her mind. "You don't love me anymore."

"I never sa - " Seth began, his fury falling away at a rapid pace when he saw Summer's ache in her eyes, when she abruptly looked up at him, trying to shield the sadness from her face.

"No. You know what? It's okay. I deserve this. This is what I get for listening to Bethany."

"Bethany? What's this got to do with Bethany?"

Summer ignored his questioning and continued, "And then there were girls. Lots of them. And you were drinking and we were arguing and you said all those beyond cheesy things to me that night and I just talked myself into thinking you intended them for someone else and I - oh God," Summer's hand flew to cover her mouth. "Oh God."

"I really don't know what you're talking about," Seth said earnestly as he looked at Summer's face for clairvoyance.

"No, it's okay. It doesn't matter. I'm just," Summer stuttered looking between Seth and the people in the apartment, who were staying glued to the events unfolding at the front door rather than the excitement flooding through the TV, "I'm just… I'm going to go. Umm… have a good year and… you know… good luck," Summer backed down the walkway as she casually waved and continued talking sadly. "Umm… maybe I'll see you in Newport for Christmas… or whatever. Yeah, so… bye, Seth." With that, Summer turned, facing her back towards Seth and walked quickly down the street towards the bus stop she had noticed earlier. Summer stood at the bus stop, searching frantically through her over-sized purse for her cell phone. Through her clouded vision, caused by the tears that would not cease to fall, she found it and quickly flipped it open, finding a missed call and voicemail from Lana. Summer held the phone up to her ear as she tried to listen to Lana's message, though her hiccupping sobs made it difficult. She could only make out that Lana was checking to see if she landed and to wish her luck with the "Seth situation." She snapped her phone shut, sitting down on the bench, waiting for the bus to come. Rain was beginning to sprinkle from the sky and Summer shuddered as the small droplets hit her exposed skin.

Damn Rhode Island and its four-seasoned weather.

Damn Seth for choosing to head East to attend college.

Damn her for following him.

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**A/N: A little more dragging out never hurt anyone. ;)**

**Wait for more. And review while you're waiting.**


	19. The FixerUpper

**Disclaimer: Never was; probably never will be.**

**A/N: My reviewers are amazing. And I know two cliffhanger-type chapters is a rather evil thing to do, but sometimes I just can't help but go on my own little power trip. But anyway – I sort of, _kind of_, apologize to those people that are not so good with the patient thing and here's my main last chapter! Hope you enjoy!**

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As Summer walked off, Seth willed himself to walk back over the threshold of the apartment and shut the door behind him.

All five questioning and shocked faces met his gaze when he looked over to them.

Nick was the first one to speak. "So, that was an ex-girlfriend I'm guessing?"

"Yeah," Seth replied, still leaning against the door, baffled by his encounter with Summer.

"Did you know her from LA?" the girl, Lisa, questioned.

"We lived together in an apartment this past summer."

"Whoa, dude, that's kind of fast," Nick smirked. "You sure do have some kind of magic with the ladies don't you?"

Seth shook his head and leaned it rather roughly against the door, averting his gaze towards the ceiling. "No. We started dating when we were fifteen. I've been in love with her since I was ten."

"You've been dating her for five years?" Gabe asked, stunned.

"And you've been in love with the same girl for your entire teenage life?" One of the other girls inquired.

Seth nodded his head, getting a quick glance at his new friends on his couch. They all wore the same stunned, expressionless look. Seth decided to keep explaining things, even if things weren't making sense to him. "She was my first everything. My first crush, my first kiss, my first sexual experience… you know… _everything_. She even decided to come to college on the East coast along with me so we could keep the relationship working without the long-distance shit. And this past summer we moved in together in an apartment in LA. And we were supposed to live in this apartment together this fall."

Nick spoke up again. "Wow, man. And she broke up with you?"

Seth continued nodding, "After five years of dating on and off she decided I needed to date other people because she didn't think I was happy with her."

"But you were happy with her?"

"Of course," Seth replied to Lisa's question. "I've been in love with her for as long as I can remember. She was my dream girl and I was never really happy until she accepted me into her life. She's the only thing in the world that can make me happy. Even more so than comic books, video games, or… or Batman movies in high definition," Seth stuttered, throwing his arm in the direction of the TV screen.

"But she still loves you?"

"I guess," Seth shrugged. "I mean, that's why she came over here, right?"

Seth looked to the others and all of their heads nodded in response simultaneously.

"But I was right to let her run off. Right? She can't keep jerking me around like this. I can only take so much of her constant hot-cold routine. I mean, I love her but I can't keep doing this. I should move on. Find something else that makes me happy. I'm sure there's something else out there. There has to be. Summer's not the only thing that can make me feel like I'm on top of the world. I have to let her go. Cut myself off." Slowly Seth saw the heads stop nodding. "Right?"

Lisa sighed, getting up walking towards the door where Seth was leaned against and pushed him off, opening the door. "Everybody makes mistakes, Seth." Lisa turned and grabbed the keys that were on top of the counter – which was placed advantageously right next to the door. "Go fix yours." She handed Seth the keys as he looked down and stared at them.

What was he doing? He was holding a grudge against Summer and all for what purpose? What was he going to get out of shutting Summer out of his life and not forgiving her? Unhappiness? Misery? Life spent in melancholy, wondering about what could have been?

Seth didn't want to lose Summer. He didn't mean for their first meeting after two months apart to go like this. After all the time he had spent analyzing and dreaming about how it would go, he did not picture Summer running off down the street. Her crying? Yeah, sure. Begging him for his forgiveness? Definitely. But imagining that he said no to her, flat out, leaving her high and dry, watching her back away from him in astonishment and sadness? Absolutely not.

He wanted to be with Summer. Of course he did. He just hated that she had run away from their problems without talking about them to him; from even attempting to clear them up. But then again, he had just done exactly what he hadn't wanted Summer to do – he ran away from the problem, shut her out. He was being a hypocrite.

Seth Cohen loved Summer Roberts. And even though he hadn't known his Rhode Island friends at the comic book and video game store long, they already knew it too. The only person who didn't know it was Summer Roberts herself.

After a few seconds of staring between the keys, Lisa's face, and his other four friends' faces, his head shot up. "Oh fuck." Seth immediately bolted out the door, towards his Toyota Camry, barely putting the car in drive as he put his foot on the gas, aiming to drive towards the Brown campus.

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Summer saw a car that looked exactly like Seth's go whizzing by – at least 45 miles per hour over the speed limit – and before she could even register it, it was put in reverse as it came speeding back at almost the same speed, stopping right in front of Summer.

Summer squinted to see Seth inside, barely putting the car in park before he was jumping out, moving towards Summer.

"Seth, what are you doing? You could have gotten killed!"

Seth didn't bother responding to her and instead took off his lightweight jacket and held it over her head with both of his hands to shield her from the droplets of rain. Neither one of them said a word for a few seconds – Summer trying to make sense of what was going on and Seth trying to search Summer's eyes for her true feelings. Finally Seth leaned in and kissed Summer's wet lips, softly at first but then a little more roughly as he dropped the jacket to the ground and brought his hands to her face, pulling her lips impossibly closer. Summer couldn't do anything but react to his kiss and let go of her coherent thoughts to instead merely focus on Seth being right there, kissing her once again.

Summer couldn't believe she had even attempted to let all of this go. To let _him_ go. She should have known it was always going to come back to him. Deep down she knew she would never be able to live her life knowing that somewhere, out in the world's expanse, Seth Cohen was living, breathing, and loving someone other than her. Summer Roberts just couldn't live without Seth Cohen in her life. Regardless of what other people may say or do, or what she herself might even think is the right or wrong choice, she couldn't let all the hopes and dreams she had stored safely away in the images of her photo album fade into lost memories. She had never wanted anything more than she wanted him to be her future and after two months of denying the undeniable, she was more than grateful to all powerful Beings that Seth forgave her. Summer refused to ever doubt what wasn't doubtful and feel insecure about what was surely secure ever again.

Seth pulled back, still holding Summer's face in his hands, gently rubbing her face free of tears and the increasing rain droplets. "I'm an ass."

Summer tried to shake her head but Seth held it firmly still. "I'm an ass and I _love_ you."

Summer started to smile as Seth leaned down and kissed her lips once more; less passionate this time but more affectionate, showing her how much he did truly love her with his entire being.

Summer wanted to tell Seth everything. She wanted to explain herself until she was blue in the face about why she did what she did and how completely and utterly miserable she had become while they were apart. But in this perfect Rhode Island moment, Summer couldn't think of the right words to say. She just pulled out of Seth's kiss, unwillingly, and shuddered from the cold feeling the rain had caused the exterior of her body.

Suddenly, Summer didn't feel the urge to explain everything to Seth. Just from the loving gaze in his eyes, she knew she didn't have to. Summer broke eye contact for the shortest second and looked towards the sky. The rain hit her face as she squinted into the clouds, silently thanking any and all Above her for answering her prayers. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Seth look up as well. She didn't know if he was just wondering what she was looking at or also thanking his own lucky stars that she had come back to him, but either way she smiled. She smiled and tilted her head back to normal level as Seth did the same.

Summer smirked, leaning in towards Seth's face, whispering, "I _hate_ Rhode Island weather."

Seth laughed and as he was about to reply, there was a loud honking sound coming from not too far in the distance. Summer looked over Seth's shoulder and Seth turned to see the headlights of a Providence city bus approaching, behind his car. The bus stopped and the driver moved down towards the now opened doors, staring at them and then shouting. "Is that your car?"

Seth nodded his head. "Yeah, umm… yeah it's mine."

"Well, you need to move it," the bus driver shouted in reply. "That's a violation of city laws."

"Okay," Seth yelled. "Okay, I'll move it." The bus driver nodded and sat back in his seat, as other passengers got off the bus and then a few new ones got on.

Seth looked back to Summer, rubbing his hands up and down her arms to try and warm her from the cold, wet air, "Come with me?"

Summer nodded silently as Seth smiled, picked up his soaking jacket from the ground, and then led her towards the passenger side of the car, opening the door, letting her slide in the seat.

"Thanks, Cohen," Summer smiled as Seth held onto the door, about to shut it.

Seth smirked, "Anything for my beautiful girlfriend who makes me _extremely_ happy in every possible sense of the word."

Before Summer could reply with a sarcastic 'You're so cheesy' remark, Seth shut the door and bounded over to the driver's seat. Once Seth put the car in drive, he let his right hand find Summer's left one and rubbed his thumbs over her knuckles. Summer looked over at him with his face staring happily out onto the road. Summer smiled, contemplating whether or not to break the comfortable silence they had found themselves in. Her guilty conscience that wanted to apologize to Seth until the end of time won out and Summer opened her mouth to speak. "I'm sorry, Cohen."

"You don't have to be," Seth replied, still not making eye contact with her.

Summer sighed, knowing Seth would never let her fully apologize for the agonizing two months she put them both through, and changed the subject. "Are we going back to your apartment? Cause I dropped my bags off with Callie at Brown."

The traffic light that they had been approaching had turned red and Seth had stopped his car, turning his head towards Summer for the first time since they got in the car. "_Our_ apartment, Summer. _Ours_."

"Right," Summer smiled as she closed the gap between their faces, kissing his lips softly. "I've missed kissing you, Seth."

"I've missed kissing _you_, Summer."

Summer leaned her head on Seth's shoulder, keeping her hand still tightly wound in his, sighing happily, "You're happy, right?"

Seth kissed Summer's hair, keeping his eyes still on the road, whispering quietly in the already silent car, "You make me the _happiest_, Summer."

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**So that's basically it. I'm writing an epilogue-type chapter but that will be it for this story. Also, I need an opinion from all of you – I was thinking about maybe writing a sequel taking place the following summer…? Tell me your thoughts on that or if I should just leave this storyline here. If I don't get a lot of responses on it I probably won't do it. As for all the reviewers who added their two-sense after either every chapter or any random chapter – thanks! I always loved reading the responses and although I had this story pretty much planned out from the beginning, it was nice to have other people's inputs for possible future ideas. So again, thank you!**

**Okay, now review please! And don't forget to tell me if a sequel would be a good idea or not!**

**Epilogue in a few days!**


	20. The Months to Come

**Disclaimer: Never ever.**

**A/N: This is the epilogue for this story. And based on the overwhelming positive response, I've decided there will be a sequel. Hope that made you all smile. :)**

**Now read this last chapter and tell me what you think!**

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"Sum?" Seth knocked on the bathroom door. "Summer, you almost done?"

"In a minute!" Summer shouted through the door.

Seth turned around, rolling his eyes and taking a glance out the window of his apartment's living room. The snow was spread out across the landscape of their apartment complex like a soft blanket. He loved how the snow looked in the middle of the month of December. And he just loved December in Rhode Island. Not because it was his birthday _and_ Chrismukkah (although, that did help a bit), but because there was _real_ weather. And it was white snow. And with Summer all wrapped up in coats, scarves, and boots looking completely adorable and the most beautiful he had ever seen her, he didn't think there was any month better than December.

Seth shook himself from his thoughts, muttering and limping over to the couch. "That's what you said a half hour ago."

"I heard that, Seth Cohen!" Summer yelled again, as Seth smirked, leaning his head on the back of the couch. Seth's phone vibrated in his pocket and he shifted his body's position so he could fetch it out of his pants.

"Hey, man," Seth smiled into the phone. "Waiting until nearly eighteen hours of the day had gone by to wish your brother a happy birthday?"

"Happy Birthday, Seth," Ryan replied wryly. Seth swore he could hear the eye roll over the phone.

Seth spoke mockingly back into his phone, "Wow. Thanks, man. That overwhelming birthday wish is sending chills through my spine. _So_ heartfelt. I can tell you really meant it."

"So where's Summer?" Ryan changed subjects.

"Summer? It's my twenty-first birthday – I can legally drink my _ass_ off – and you're asking where Summer is? Jeez, that's quite the present. Thank you," Seth answered sardonically into the phone.

"Seth…"

"You're kidding right? Ever since this past summer and me and Summer's short, little, unimportant and stupid hiatus you two have been talking a lot. Since when did you guys become buddy-buddy? You're not into her, are you? Cause I think I'd kill you – even if we are legally related."

"Now _you've_ got to be kidding," Ryan laughed as Summer emerged from the bathroom and walked over to the couch, where Seth sat gaping at her.

"Is that Ryan?" Summer asked as Seth nodded wordlessly, clearly mesmerized by the peach colored, strapless dress that hung perfectly on her petite and curved body. "Give me the phone."

Seth handed it over as Summer began talking and walking off towards the bedroom.

It never ceased to amaze Seth how amazing Summer looked in anything. Or, come to think of it, how amazing she looked in _nothing_ for that matter.

Seth wasn't sure how long he was in his daze but Summer reemerged from the bedroom and wrapped her arms around Seth's neck, letting them land on his chest. She leaned over the back of the couch, whispering into his ear, "Happy birthday, baby. You're completely legal now. No more fun milestone birthdays."

"Well, there's twenty-five when I can rent a car without adult consent," Seth replied smoothly as Summer left kisses on his neck.

"Oh yes," Summer mumbled into Seth's skin. "Can't forget about that one."

"Nope, we can't. But we _can_ forget about the dinner reservations," Seth told her as seductively as he could muster up and moved out from under her grasp, turning towards her on the couch.

Summer stood up abruptly and put her hands on her hips. "I did not just get dressed up for two hours and skip my last class today so we could just stay in and have sex."

"It's called making love, my little darling." Seth kneeled on the couch so he was Summer's height.

"I thought I told you never to invent nicknames for me."

"What nicknames, sugar baby?"

"Ew, Cohen!" Summer began walking away as Seth leaned over the couch, hoping to catch Summer in a kiss but instead found himself falling over the back of the couch onto the floor.

Summer heard the thump and Seth's mumbling swears as she turned around. "Cohen!" She rushed back over and onto the ground where Seth fell.

"Fucking Christ," Seth rubbed his head as he sat up. "Summer, you weren't supposed to move."

Summer tried biting back a laugh but did so unsuccessfully. "I'm sorry, Cohen."

Seth attempted a glare but that only caused Summer to erupt in another fit of giggles and Seth decidedly stood up and straightened out his suit. "Happy fucking birthday to me," he mumbled.

"Baby," Summer wrapped her arms around his torso and back as she looked up at him with puppy dog eyes. "I love you."

Seth felt his anger fading away as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her closer and kissing her hair. "I love _you_."

Summer pulled away, taking his hand in hers. "Come on, the reservation is in fifteen minutes."

Seth grunted but followed her willingly, never letting his eyes leave her gorgeous looking body too long.

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"That wasn't half bad, Sum. Usually I hate those hoity-toity stuck up restaurants but really, that one wasn't that bad." Seth had his hand affectionately placed around Summer's waist as they walked up the walkway towards their apartment.

"I knew you'd like it. And see, the champagne didn't go straight to your head this time. Maybe you're building up your tolerance."

Seth smirked and stopped suddenly, pulling Summer towards him impulsively, leaving kisses and words of gratitude all over her face before finally settling on her lips. Summer didn't stop him, or even care that they were standing outside of their apartment making out, knowing fully well the amount of people that were probably peering out looking at them.

Suddenly, after a few minutes of a heated make out session between Seth and Summer, their apartment door burst open as Nick appeared, shouting at them. "For God sakes, you two. We know you're in love but come on! It's called air and you two need some of it!"

Seth looked up from Summer's face confused. "What the hell are you doing here, Nick?"

Just then a bunch of people flung themselves out through the door shouting "Surprise!" as the lights within the apartment turned on.

Seth stared at Summer again, still with his arms holding her waist, giving her a look of question with his eyebrows raised.

Summer smiled and leaned up, lightly kissing his cheek. "Surprise, baby."

Seth didn't really have time to react to it before classmates, co-workers, and his family – including not only his parents (who were by now full-time residents of Berkeley, California) and Ryan, but also Lana, Julie, Dr. Roberts, and Kaitlin – came up to him, bombarding him with birthday wishes.

Summer stood back, letting the others flood around her boyfriend as her father approached her. "Well, he looks surprised, Summer." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "You did a good job."

"Yeah, well, Cohen's pretty gullible when it comes to these things." Summer smiled up at her father and then over towards Seth. "He looks happy, right?"

Dr. Roberts looked down at his daughter and then over at Seth, catching the innocent looks they were tossing between each other. "He looks as happy as you do right now."

Summer glanced back up at her father. "I _am_ happy."

"I know it, sweetie. I'm glad you both have each other."

"Me too," Summer smiled innocently as she glanced back at Seth for a quick moment and then turned her head back up to her father's. "Thank you, daddy."

Dr. Roberts nodded as Seth began approaching them. "Hello, Dr. Roberts."

"Hey, Seth. Happy birthday." Dr. Roberts reached out to give Seth a firm handshake and Seth looked down to Summer's beaming face, letting his hand fall loosely to her waist once again.

"Thank you, sir." Dr. Roberts nodded again as he walked off into the crowd that was re-entering the apartment.

Seth gazed down at Summer. "You planned all this?" Summer nodded. "And hid it from me?"

"For two months." Summer held up two fingers to emphasize her comment.

"For two months?" Seth mimicked her in a girlish voice, pulling her in for another kiss, both of them laughing into each other's mouths.

"We just went through this!" Nick shouted from the door of the apartment again, interrupting them. "You're in love. We get it. But now it's time to party!"

Seth and Summer laughed as they walked up towards the apartment door, Seth being greeted by birthday wishes from friends and family once again.

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"So you liked it, huh?" Summer asked Seth as they were tangled in the sheets of their bed later that night – or more accurately – early the next morning.

"Hmmhmm," Seth mumbled as he pulled Summer up to reach his lips. "But the second party of the night was definitely the clincher. You know… you and me," Seth left a short kiss on Summer's lips. "In here." Another kiss. "Together." A final, longer kiss.

"Oh, really?" Summer flirted.

Seth brought Summer closer to his body, moving the sheets out of the way, "Absolutely. And if it were still my birthday I'd ask for a repeat."

Summer smiled seductively, "Well, I think in California it's still your birthday so we could pretend that we're actually there instead of Rhode Island…"

"We could couldn't we?" Seth brought the sheets over their heads and Summer giggled into their heated kiss.

Seth was happy. Summer was happy. No more doubts. No more insecurities.

Nothing was better than this.

And if anyone else thought differently, well… that really didn't matter, now did it?

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**A/N: It's done!**

**Sequel soon!**


End file.
